150 YEARS AFTER BELL PATENTED THE TELEPHONE, AT&T TO DISCONTINUE LANDLINE ACCESS IN CALIFORNIA

Coalition Urges Public to Order Landline Service Before July 19 Deadline

OAKLAND, Calif., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 150th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's 1876 telephone patent. Now, after a century and a half of continuous telephone service, many Californians have only days remaining to order a traditional copper landline before AT&T plans to stop accepting new orders on July 19, 2026.

The Coalition to Save Landlines is urging the public to order a landline before the deadline. The value of the landline telephone network, which can continue to function for days when the power is out, has become more apparent in recent years. Failure of cellular systems during wildfires, earthquakes, severe storms, and technical glitches has highlighted their weakness in emergencies. During AT&T's 2024 nationwide cellular outage, 25,000 calls to 911 failed to complete. "AT&T is ignoring thousands of public comments on the importance of the system to access and public safety," Coalition member Vicki Sievers says. "Reliable communications should not become a historical artifact—landlines are lifelines!"

During California's extensive power outages, landlines are the most—and often only—reliable way to communicate. Cable, fiber, and wireless all rely on power at customer locations, making them dependent on backup batteries during extended outages. AT&T's "AP-A" replacement only provides up to 24 hours of standby power, woefully inadequate in California's frequent multi-day outages, such as Public Safety Power Shutoffs. AT&T plans to grandfather service on July 19, meaning it will no longer accept new landline orders in affected areas of California. While AT&T has received FCC approval to discontinue service on or after June 1, 2027, this conflicts with previous CPUC rulings denying AT&T's discontinuance. This is under review by the FCC, though its authority to preempt state rules is still being challenged in the courts.

Consumers who encounter difficulty ordering traditional landline service should remain persistent. California law continues to govern AT&T's obligations while regulatory proceedings remain ongoing. Customers who are being improperly redirected to other services or experiencing unnecessary delays should carefully document their interactions and follow the escalation guidance available at SaveLandlines.org.

"The 150-year history of telephone service should not end with Californians being told they no longer have a choice," Sievers said. "If you believe resilient communications matter, now is the time to act. Ordering a landline today helps preserve an important public safety resource and sends a clear message that reliable communications infrastructure still matters."

About the Coalition to Save Landlines

The Coalition to Save Landlines is a grassroots alliance of consumers, telecommunications professionals, disability advocates, environmentalists, emergency responders, community organizations, and public-interest advocates dedicated to preserving reliable wireline communications for public safety, accessibility, emergency preparedness, and consumer choice throughout California and beyond.

SOURCE The Coalition to Save Landlines