Key Points
- AT&T plans to retire most copper services by 2029.
- In “wireless-first” areas, AT&T aims to have no customers on copper by end of 2027—using alternatives like AT&T Phone – Advanced.
- AT&T Phone – Advanced—powered by DataRemote’s VAB-1—delivers a modern landline replacement over cellular and/or broadband, compatible with fax, medical monitors, alarms, and elevators, with enterprise-grade battery backup, multi-line FXS, and LTE failover.
- Consumers and businesses can prepare now with POTS replacement, fixed wireless access (FWA), and internet backup solutions from DataRemote.
AT&T’s 2029 Fiber & Copper Milestones—What’s Changing
AT&T has also received FCC approval to discontinue copper services across ~500 wire centers—roughly 10% of its footprint—marking tangible progress on the transition.
Meet AT&T Phone – Advanced: Landline Functionality Without Copper
AT&T Phone – Advanced replaces traditional copper landlines with a device that connects over AT&T’s cellular network and/or a home broadband connection, providing familiar features (voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, E911) and support for analog endpoints like fax machines, medical monitors, and alarms.
For businesses, AT&T is likewise modernizing copper lines with an enterprise-class appliance and service stack designed to maintain continuity for essential analog applications.
Copper Retirement Preparation Checklist
Inventory Your Copper-Dependent Endpoints
Catalog fax lines, elevator emergency phones, fire/burglar panels, ring-down lines, gate access, POS modems, and out-of-band management lines by site.
Choose the Right Migration Path
For multi-line sites and regulated endpoints, see our 90X2 POTS Replacement and 90X1 5G POTS Replacement platforms. For residential/small-site copper replacement and many specialty lines, AT&T Phone – Advanced, powered by DataRemote hardware, is perfect.
Add Access Diversity and Power Resilience
Pair your migration with Internet Backup & Cellular Failover to ride through provider outages and maintain voice, fax, and alarm connectivity.
Mind Compliance & AHJ Approvals
DataRemote’s POTS IN A BOX® portfolio (including VAB-1) carries the listings and certifications integrators look for—CSFM listing and UL-864—streamlining approvals in states like California and across the U.S.
Powered by DataRemote’s VAB-1
AT&T’s Advanced phone solution utilizes the VAB-1—manufactured by DataRemote—to deliver dial-tone replacement with battery backup, LTE and/or wired WAN failover, and multi-line analog support.
High-Impact Use Cases We See Every Day
Elevators & Life-Safety
Keep emergency phones online with battery-backed analog replacement and LTE failover. See our Elevator Emergency Communication guide.
Healthcare & Medical Monitoring
Support analog monitors and notification lines without copper. See how Amberwell Health is enhancing their communications with DataRemote’s POTS IN A BOX®.
Fire & Burglar Panels
MFVN-capable analog support with time-tested interoperability. See our Fire & Burglar Alarm Communication guide.
Retail & POS
Ensure dial-backup and out-of-band comms survive ISP or power events with integrated UPS and failover. See our Retail Communication guide.
Why DataRemote?
Since 1991, DataRemote has led the way as a pioneer in the industrial Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Cellular Technology sectors. Whether you’re preparing for AT&T’s 2027 wireless-first deadlines or the broader 2029 copper retirement, our engineers can map your endpoints to the right mix of VAB-1, 90X1/90X2, FWA, and backup—keeping voice and 911 online coast-to-coast. Contact DataRemote to schedule a migration assessment today.
Fixed Wireless Access
