Is AT&T eliminating landlines?
Fixed telephones have always been used in the United States homes for many years where people were able to make calls and even browse the internet before the introduction of cell phones and wireless connections. However, with the help of the newer generations and people actively using cell phones as their main telephone service, traditional, fixed-line phones are becoming less and less popular. This has led many people to ask the following question – is AT&T phasing out the traditional telephones?
The Short Answer
AT&T is not getting rid of landlines altogether; however, they have made changes to their business model and investment in favor of wireless and IP telephony. However, AT&T is still keeping its legs wet in the landline market, though they have poured billions into improving and expanding its wireless networks and 5G possibilities because that is how the industry is going to grow and where the revenues are going to be. Hence, it is evident that the company’s future services are likely to feature a diminished importance of landlines.
The Long Answer
Until the mid-2000s, AT&T was primarily associated with the largest landline telephone service provider in the United States. However, in 2006 AT&T merged with BellSouth, a wireless provider, and started to offer bundles that incorporated both wireline and wireless telecommunications services. At this point, the sign was apparent that wireless was rapidly going to emerge as the most popular mode of telephony service.
In the year 2012, AT&T said it would invest $14 billion over the following three years in wireless and broadband networks, at the same time cutting back its capital expenses on sustaining its outdated wireline networks. Although AT&T did not discontinue its landline operations completely, this signaled a transition to next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) networks and wireless capabilities.
Less than 10% of AT&T's voice and data revenue was coming from traditional landline phone services by 2017. More than three-quarters of households in the United States did not have a wired connection, and more than half of AT&T’s consumer telephone customers did not even possess a traditional wired phone line. AT&T more and more pushed customers to abandon the wireline service and adopt wireless, IP phone on broadband internet, or integrated service options.
As for the inherited POTS network, AT&T promises that it will try to keep supporting it in the current regions “as long as possible,” although its new fiber network deployment focuses on internet and voice-over IP-delivered fiber rather than copper-wire-based POTS. The company has pleaded with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deregulate to shed the responsibility of preserving old copper-based POTS wired networks.
In conclusion -
no, AT&T is still not planning to fully eliminate the usage of landlines as it is required by law to offer these services in some locations. However, via fiber optic IP networks and 5G wireless, it is evident that AT&T sees a far more ambitious future in advanced connectivity. The service’s importance to traditional landline phone infrastructure is gradually declining from year to year in their long-term vision. Rural landline customers especially should prepare for more changes in legacy networks as they persist to transform.
Even if the idea of fully removing landlines has been brought forward and considered, the effect that it would have is still likely to be met with a lot of criticism today. But over time as more people opt out of landlines by their own accord, AT&T will continue to invest in what it believes is the future of communications technology and networks.
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