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Copper landline retirement — keep a phone that works in an outage

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1‑866‑849‑8390 – CPUC Public Advisor’s Office 2‑1‑1 – Free, confidential help finding local services
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AT&T seeks FCC approval to discontinue copper landline service in 360 California wire centers, effective after June 1 2027, affecting about 184 000 residential customers, while Nevada County is excluded; copper lines remain power‑independent during outages, so residents should test alternative networks, consider signal boosters (registering them for free with carriers), use battery backups, and can comment on the CPUC’s Carrier‑of‑Last‑Resort rulemaking or seek assistance through local resources like the library’s hotspot loans and Lifeline programs.
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Know where you stand: no Nevada County wire center is on AT&T's copper-retirement list (earliest date June 1, 2027), plus free ways to test and keep a phone that works
Espanol
Retiro de la línea terrestre de cobre — mantenga un teléfono que funcione durante un corte de energía
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cpuc.ca.gov/industr...-service
Verified 2026-09-27 against the FCC public notice, the CPUC's AT&T landline page and its wire-center map data, the Nevada County Library, and federal signal-booster rules (sources below).

What's happening

AT&T asked the FCC for permission to stop offering its old copper landline phone service in portions of 360 wire centers in California. The FCC's notice says the applications were deemed granted automatically on June 29, 2026, with an authorized date on or after June 1, 2027. The CPUC says AT&T claims these areas include about 184,000 residential customers. Nothing changes for anyone before June 2027.

Nevada County is not on the list

In the wire-center map data the CPUC publishes, none of the wire centers serving Nevada County is marked as part of AT&T's application. That covers Grass Valley, Nevada City, Penn Valley and Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines, North San Juan, and Truckee. Some nearby areas are on the list, including Marysville, Lincoln, Newcastle, and Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista on Lake Tahoe's north shore.

Why it matters when the power goes out

A traditional copper landline gets its power from the phone company, so it can keep working during a power outage. Cell phones, fiber, and internet phone service need power at your house. Whatever service you use, plan for outages on purpose.

Keep a phone that works where you live

  1. Test which network works at your house, for free. The Nevada County Library lends mobile hotspots on Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. Adult and teen cardholders can borrow one for 14 days. Take one home and test it where you live, then try another network on your next loan. Library hotspots
  1. A signal booster can help if some signal reaches you. A booster strengthens a weak signal; it can't create one, so test first. Federal rules say you must get your carrier's consent and register the booster with your carrier before you use it, and carriers must offer a free registration.
  1. Plan for power. Put your home internet router or hotspot on a battery backup so it keeps working in a shutoff. Charge phones and power banks when an outage is forecast.

Have your say (optional)

The CPUC has an active rulemaking, R.24-06-012, on its Carrier of Last Resort rules, which decide whether a phone company must keep serving everyone. Anyone can leave a public comment online. For help with the process, call the CPUC Public Advisor's Office at 1-866-849-8390.

Get help

  • Dial 2-1-1 for free, confidential help finding local services.
  • Ask a neighbor on the TechEMPOWER Discord (link on our homepage) for help testing your signal or picking gear.

Sources

  • FCC Public Notice DA-26-539A1, Section 214 discontinuance applications ("deemed granted automatically on June 29, 2026"; "in portions of 360 wire centers in California"; "Authorized Date(s) – on or after June 1, 2027"): docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-539A1.pdf (fetched 2026-09-27)
  • CPUC, Federal Applications to Discontinue Landline Voice Service ("approximately 184,000 residential customers"; "on or after June 1, 2027"; links the wire-center map): cpuc.ca.gov (fetched 2026-09-27)
  • CPUC wire-center map data layer ATT_WireCenters_06052026 (613 AT&T wire centers, 360 flagged as in the FCC application; every wire center serving Nevada County flagged not in it): ArcGIS feature service (queried 2026-09-27)
  • Nevada County Library, Hotspots ("Service providers Verizon T-Mobile AT&T"; "Loan period is 14 days"; adult and teen cardholders): nevadacountyca.gov/3934/Hotspots (fetched 2026-09-27)
  • 47 CFR §20.21, signal boosters ("Prior to operation, the subscriber registers the Consumer Signal Booster with the licensee"; carriers "must establish a free registration mechanism"): ecfr.gov (fetched 2026-09-27)
  • CPUC proceeding R.24-06-012 ("Current Status: ACTIVE"; "Order Instituting Rulemaking Proceeding to Consider Changes to the Commission's Carrier of Last Resort Rules"): apps.cpuc.ca.gov/p/R2406012; Public Advisor 1-866-849-8390 per the CPUC AT&T COLR page (fetched 2026-09-27)