FCC to vote on plans to speed up copper retirement

Out with the slow and in with the fast, says FCC

March 09, 2026

By: Paul Lipscombe

This article originally appeared on the DatacenterDynamics site.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced plans to hold a vote later this month to speed up the removal of copper networks.

The meeting, set for March 26, aims to vote on rules that will see communities across the U.S. move from "slow" legacy copper lines and onto new, high-speed networks.

According to the agency, the rules will allow providers to retire their decades-old and increasingly expensive copper line networks, freeing up tens-of-billions of dollars annually for the rollout of more modern networks.

The FCC didn't name these networks, but will likely be referring to fiber, which has been a huge focus for U.S. telcos in the last couple of years.

“This FCC decision will free up billions of dollars in private capital so that Americans in communities across the country can go from old and slow copper lines to modern, high-speed ones," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr noted in a statement. "For too long, outdated regulations have forced providers to keep consumers on antiquated networks. We will cut through that red tape with this decision. This FCC vote will finally allow those Americans to benefit from an upgrade to next-gen infrastructure."

The FCC noted that it will take several actions to "bring the regulatory environment in line with today’s communications marketplace, while retaining or adopting safeguards to protect public safety and ensure 911 continuity."

Telecom trade association USTelecom has welcomed the proposed plans.

"Bravo to the FCC – coming off the 30^th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act, the commission has taken a critical step toward releasing consumers from legacy copper networks and the rules that govern them," USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter noted in a statement. "With this draft order, the FCC is working toward updating rules to reflect reality, accelerating America’s transition from outdated copper infrastructure to the modern, high-speed networks consumers consistently choose and rely on."

U.S. telecom operators, including AT&T, have pushed to retire and remove legacy copper from their networks in favor of deploying fiber.