# FCC Invites Comment on AT&T Application to Discontinue PrimePath and Other CLEC Business Phone Lines in 34 States and D.C.

> On October 5, 2026, the FCC accepted for filing an AT&T Section 214 application to discontinue TDM-based business phone lines sold by its competitive local exchange carrier affiliates as PrimePath Service or as Business Local Exchange Service with AT&T Business Network, OneNet Option, or ACC Business, throughout 34 states and the District of Columbia. Comments are due October 20, 2026, and unless the Commission notifies AT&T otherwise the application will be deemed granted on November 5, 2026, with discontinuance authorized on or after that date.

- Category: Regulatory Updates
- Published: October 5, 2026
- Author: DataRemote
- Summarized from: FCC Wireline Competition Bureau (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-1075A1.pdf)
- Geography: Alabama, United States, Arizona, United States, Colorado, United States, Connecticut, United States, Delaware, United States, District of Columbia, United States, Florida, United States, Georgia, United States, Illinois, United States, Indiana, United States, Iowa, United States, Kansas, United States, Kentucky, United States, Maryland, United States, Massachusetts, United States, Michigan, United States, Minnesota, United States, Mississippi, United States, Missouri, United States, Nebraska, United States, Nevada, United States, New Hampshire, United States, New Jersey, United States, New York, United States, North Carolina, United States, Ohio, United States, Oregon, United States, Pennsylvania, United States, Rhode Island, United States, Tennessee, United States, Texas, United States, Utah, United States, Virginia, United States, Washington, United States, Wisconsin, United States
- Primary entity: organization:att
- Mentions: organization:verizon, organization:t-mobile, family:pots-in-a-box
- Related entities: solution:pots-line-replacement, endpoint:fire-alarm-panel, endpoint:elevator-emergency-phone, endpoint:burglar-alarm-panel, endpoint:fax-machine, endpoint:analog-telephone, topic:copper-retirement, topic:pots-line-replacement, standard:fcc-network-modernization-rules, definition:pots, definition:pots-line-replacement, definition:network-modernization, definition:battery-backup
## Key facts

- WC Docket No. 26-276 (Comp. Pol. File No. 2210): filed September 16, 2026 by AT&T Services, Inc. on behalf of AT&T Enterprises, LLC; AT&T Communications of Indiana, LLC; AT&T Communications of New York, Inc.; AT&T Communications of Texas, LLC; AT&T Communications of Virginia, LLC; Teleport Communications America, LLC; and TC Systems, Inc.
- Affected service: business landline phone service, "sometimes known as 'POTS'," sold by AT&T as PrimePath Service or as Business Local Exchange Service associated with AT&T Business Network, OneNet Option, or ACC Business. The application describes these as TDM-based access lines.
- Service area: throughout Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
- FCC public notice DA 26-1075, released October 5, 2026: comments due October 20, 2026; deemed granted automatically on November 5, 2026 unless the Commission notifies AT&T otherwise; authorized date on or after November 5, 2026.
- The application asked to discontinue on or after October 30, 2026, "except as provided for in any existing contracts." Customer notices were mailed August 28, 2026, following an earlier written notice in October 2025.
- AT&T states that it offers these services as a competitive local exchange carrier and that the underlying network elements have in many instances become difficult or expensive to obtain. The application does not describe the affected lines as copper.
- Replacements named: AT&T Phone for Business – Advanced (including AT&T Business Voice), AT&T Office@Hand, AT&T IP Flexible Reach, and mobile wireless service from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

On October 5, 2026, the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau released public notice [DA 26-1075](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-1075A1.pdf), accepting for filing an AT&T application to discontinue business landline phone service sold by AT&T's competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) affiliates throughout 34 states and the District of Columbia. The notice, issued in WC Docket No. 26-276, set comments due October 20, 2026, and stated that the application will be deemed granted automatically on November 5, 2026 unless the Commission notifies AT&T otherwise.

## What AT&T filed

On September 16, 2026, AT&T Services, Inc. filed the [application](https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110076823/1) under Section 214(a) of the Communications Act and Section 63.71 of the FCC's rules, on behalf of AT&T Enterprises, LLC; AT&T Communications of Indiana, LLC; AT&T Communications of New York, Inc.; AT&T Communications of Texas, LLC; AT&T Communications of Virginia, LLC; Teleport Communications America, LLC; and TC Systems, Inc.

The public notice describes the affected service as business landline phone service "(sometimes known as 'POTS')" sold by AT&T as PrimePath Service or as Business Local Exchange Service associated with AT&T Business Network, OneNet Option, or ACC Business. The application describes these as "TDM-based access lines that allow the customer to place and receive local, intrastate, and interstate voice phone calls." AT&T states that it previously grandfathered the services in the covered states in WC Docket No. 21-452, filed November 17, 2021.

The application covers the services throughout Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. AT&T's incumbent-carrier applications cover portions of named wire centers. This one is filed by AT&T's CLEC affiliates and does not list wire centers.

AT&T states that it is discontinuing the services "due to declining customer demand and out of a desire to simplify and modernize its product portfolio," and that it offers them as a CLEC and "in many instances the underlying network elements required to provide the service have become difficult or expensive to obtain." It also states that in some locations, including within AT&T's own incumbent footprint, "the relevant ILEC may no longer offer POTS service to new customers." The application does not describe the affected lines as copper.

## Dates and process

- **October 2025.** AT&T states that it sent affected customers written notice of the planned discontinuance, one year before the proposed date.
- **August 28, 2026.** Section 63.71 customer notices were mailed. Examples are attached to the application as Exhibit 1.
- **September 16, 2026.** Application filed. It requests discontinuance "effective on or after October 30, 2026, pending regulatory approval," "except as provided for in any existing contracts." Copies went to the public utility commissions, governors, and federally recognized tribes in the affected states, and to the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer.
- **October 5, 2026.** Public notice DA 26-1075 released, finding the application acceptable for filing under Comp. Pol. File No. 2210.
- **October 20, 2026.** Comments due. As of October 19, 2026, the docket contains only the application and the public notice.
- **November 5, 2026.** The application will be deemed granted automatically, the 31st day after the public notice, under [47 C.F.R. § 63.71(f)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/63.71), unless the Commission notifies AT&T otherwise. The authorized discontinuance date is on or after November 5, 2026.

## Replacement services cited

AT&T's request for streamlined treatment rests on AT&T Phone for Business – Advanced, including the renamed AT&T Business Voice, which the application says the FCC previously found to be an adequate replacement for business POTS in earlier AT&T dockets. The application states that the service uses AT&T's LTE network for connectivity, that the network covers all affected customers, and that it includes an AT&T-owned and managed device installed at the customer's premises. It also names AT&T Office@Hand and AT&T IP Flexible Reach as replacements, and mobile wireless service from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile as alternatives.

The service disclosures attached to the customer notices state that the device includes a 24-hour battery backup at no additional cost, and that AT&T will replace the device if it or its battery becomes inoperable for as long as the customer keeps the service.

## Relevance to DataRemote customers

The affected services are business lines. Fire alarm panels, elevator emergency phones, fax machines, and other analog endpoints connected to a PrimePath line or to a Business Local Exchange Service line associated with AT&T Business Network, OneNet Option, or ACC Business in the listed states are within the scope of the application. DataRemote's [POTS line replacement](https://dataremote.com/solutions/pots-line-replacement) appliances are designed to keep such equipment operating over managed cellular service, and the 90X1, 90X2, VAB-1, CDS-9010, and CDS-9090 hold [AT&T network certification](https://dataremote.com/newsroom/certifications/att). Planning guidance for AT&T's retirements is covered separately in [AT&T Copper Retirement: What It Means for You](https://dataremote.com/blog/att-copper-retirement-what-it-means-for-you).

## Scope

- Grant is pending. Before November 5, 2026, the Commission may notify AT&T that the grant will not be automatically effective. This record reflects the docket as of October 19, 2026.
- The application covers only the named service arrangements, and AT&T excepts any existing contracts from the requested date. It does not cover AT&T's incumbent-carrier POTS, which is the subject of separate applications, including the [November 15, 2026 discontinuances deemed granted on January 12, 2026](https://dataremote.com/newsroom/news/fcc-grants-att-pots-discontinuance-18-states-november-15-2026).
- This record summarizes AT&T's filed representations and the FCC's public notice as published. The [FCC network modernization rules](https://dataremote.com/newsroom/standards/fcc-network-modernization-rules) page describes the underlying framework.

Media inquiries: [sales@dataremote.com](mailto:sales@dataremote.com).

## Sources

- [WC Docket No. 26-276 filings](https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/results?q=(proceedings.name:(%2226-276%22))) — FCC Electronic Comment Filing System
- [47 CFR § 63.71 — Procedures for discontinuance, reduction or impairment of service by domestic carriers](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/47/63.71) — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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Canonical page: https://dataremote.com/newsroom/news/att-section-214-application-discontinue-business-pots-34-states-dc
Organization: DataRemote, Inc. — POTS line replacement, cellular failover, and fixed wireless access solutions. https://dataremote.com