AT&T Landline Shutdown in San Diego: What to Do Now

Quick answer

Don't panic, but start planning. On June 29, 2026 the FCC approved AT&T's request to discontinue copper voice service at more than 184,000 California locations (TURN, Broadband Breakfast). AT&T has said withdrawals would start on or after June 1, 2027, and only if its still-pending petitions go its way (Light Reading, July 7, 2026). California's regulators oppose it, and the state's carrier-of-last-resort rules remain enforceable while AT&T's lawsuit plays out.

What to do now: list everything plugged into the phone line (alarm, fax, medical alert, elevator or gate phone), test the replacement before you need it, and keep your number by porting it, not cancelling it.

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Latest · auto-checked Oct 6

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North County check · Oct 6, 2026

Is your area on AT&T's list?

The CPUC posts AT&T's list of affected wire centers. In North County it includes Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad-La Costa, Oceanside-Mission and Rancho Santa Fe, with La Jolla-Girard and Escondido nearby. Only portions of each area are included, so check your own address on the CPUC's map. AT&T must send affected customers a notice, and it proposes to stop service no sooner than June 1, 2027.

Check your address on the CPUC map the full list

A parent still on a landline? The medical-alert check

List what runs on the line: a medical alert pendant, a home alarm, a fax, a gate or elevator phone.
Call the alert or alarm company and ask whether the device works without the copper line, and what the replacement is.
Set up the new service and make sure it has the right 911 address on file.
Keep the number: port it to the new service; don't cancel first.
Money tight? LifeLine takes up to $28.25 a month off a home or cell phone.

Or do it with PJ: he lists what's on the line, calls the alert company with you, sets up and checks the replacement, and ports the number. Plans start as low as $25. Text PJ · senior benefits checkup

Sources: CPUC, AT&T's federal applications to discontinue landline voice service and list of impacted wire centers. Checked October 6, 2026.

Update Oct 1, 2026

California did not pass AT&T's AB 470. The bill that would have let AT&T exit carrier-of-last-resort duties was held in committee on August 29, 2025 and was not revived in 2026 (AB 470 status).

SB 1191 did pass. It extends the CHCF-A and CHCF-B high-cost voice subsidy programs to January 1, 2033, and it is an urgency measure, effective on signing, September 27, 2026 (SB 1191 text).

State landline rules still apply. A federal judge denied AT&T's bid to pause CPUC carrier-of-last-resort enforcement in July 2026, so the plain answer for 2027 is no new California landline exit law (Broadband Breakfast).

What's actually been approved (as of Oct 1, 2026)

FCC approval, June 29, 2026: the FCC cleared AT&T's application to discontinue copper voice services at more than 184,000 locations in California (TURN; Broadband Breakfast, July 6, 2026). Trade analysis puts it at about 360 wire centers, roughly 184,000 residential and 15,000 business locations (POTs & Pans, Aug 14, 2026).
Earliest date: AT&T has said discontinuance would happen on or after June 1, 2027 (Light Reading, July 7, 2026).
Still pending: AT&T's separate request that the FCC override California's copper and carrier-of-last-resort rules (Broadband Breakfast; TURN).
California pushes back: the CPUC rejected AT&T's request to withdraw as carrier of last resort in June 2024, and says those rules are technology-neutral and don't stop AT&T from moving to fiber. The CPUC's carrier-of-last-resort rulemaking (R.24-06-012) was still active in May 2026.
In court: a federal judge in the Southern District of California denied AT&T's request for a preliminary injunction on July 16, 2026; the case continues and the state rules stay enforceable meanwhile (Wireless Estimator, July 21, 2026).

We could not verify from an official source which San Diego wire centers or addresses are on AT&T's list, so we're not listing any. If you have AT&T copper service, watch your mail and bill for a formal notice.

Who should pay attention

Seniors and parents

Anyone who relies on a corded landline that works in a power outage, or a medical alert pendant that dials out over the phone line.

Alarms, fax and gates

Home alarm panels, fax machines, elevator and gate phones, and older card terminals often ride on copper lines.

Small offices

A front-desk number that's been the same for 20 years, a fax line, or a phone tree on old copper lines.

Your options

Option	Good for	Watch out for
AT&T Phone-Advanced (AT&T's replacement)	Keeping your number and your existing phones. Per AT&T: works with up to six devices, 24-hour built-in battery backup with E911, "compatible with most alarm, medical monitoring, and teletypewriter devices."	Per AT&T it excludes rotary/pulse phones, and the backup battery doesn't power connected devices, so a cordless phone may need its own backup to call 911 in an outage.
Home phone over internet (VoIP) from your cable or fiber provider	Homes with reliable internet; usually keeps your number via porting.	Needs power. Providers must offer you an 8-hour backup option, and a 24-hour option since Feb 13, 2019, per the FCC, but you may have to ask and pay.
Wireless home phone box (plugs your house phone into a cell signal)	Keeping a familiar desk phone for a parent; places with good cell signal.	Check signal indoors and how long its battery lasts.
Cell phone only	People already living on their cell.	Port the landline number first if you want to keep it. Make sure alarms or medical alerts have a new path.

Decide in two minutes

If you...	Then...
Only use the landline for robocalls	Port the number to a cell or cheap VoIP line (or let it go) and stop paying for it.
Have a parent who depends on a desk phone	Keep the same phone and number; switch the line underneath (Phone-Advanced, VoIP or a wireless box) with battery backup.
Have an alarm or medical alert on the line	Call the monitoring company first and ask what their device needs. Many now offer a cellular communicator.
Still send faxes	Test a real fax on the new line, or move to an online fax service tied to email.
Run a small office on copper lines	Inventory every line and what's on it, then move the main number to a business VoIP system with a backup plan.

How to keep your number

Don't cancel the landline first. Sign up with the new provider and ask them to port the number; the old service ends when the port completes.
Have the account holder's name, service address, account number and any account PIN ready, exactly as they appear on the AT&T bill.
Keep a fresh copy of the bill handy in case the port is rejected for a mismatch.
If AT&T is moving you to Phone-Advanced, AT&T says you keep your number.

How to prep a parent (one weekend)

Walk the house: every phone jack, what's plugged in, and whether the alarm or pendant uses the line.
Pick the replacement that keeps their routine: same phone, same number, same spot on the counter.
Set up battery backup, and show them what the new box looks like when it's working.
Confirm with the provider that 911 is registered to the right street address, then test a call to you and a signal to the alarm company.
Write a one-page "if the phone stops working" card and tape it near the phone.

Want a second opinion?

Want someone to just handle the switch?

Text PJ what's on the line and who uses it. You get a plain plan: which option fits, how to port the number without losing it, and what to test. PJ can do the setup with a parent or office in person around North County. Starting with AI or other tech at the office too? See the first hour of AI help for small business.

Save time and money, or you don't pay. Start with one $150 SideGuy Hour — if it doesn't save you more time or money than it costs, you don't pay for it. How the SideGuy Hour works.

Run by your local part-time SideGuy in Solana Beach. SideGuy isn't AT&T or a phone carrier; this is independent setup help.

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Questions

Is AT&T shutting off landlines in San Diego?

AT&T has FCC approval, granted June 29, 2026, to discontinue copper voice service at more than 184,000 California locations. AT&T has said that would happen on or after June 1, 2027, and only if pending petitions go its way. California regulators oppose it and state rules remain enforceable for now. We could not verify an official list of affected San Diego addresses, so watch for a formal notice from AT&T.

Will my alarm, fax or medical alert still work?

Maybe, but test it. AT&T says Phone-Advanced is compatible with most alarm, medical monitoring and teletypewriter devices, and supports up to six devices. Call your alarm or medical alert company to confirm their device works on the new line or switch to a cellular communicator.

Can I keep my landline phone number?

Usually yes. AT&T says Phone-Advanced keeps your number. If you move to another provider, sign up first and ask them to port the number before you cancel the AT&T line.

Will a new home phone work in a power outage?

Only with backup power. FCC rules require providers of non-line-powered home phone service to offer an 8-hour backup option and, since February 13, 2019, a 24-hour option. AT&T says Phone-Advanced includes a 24-hour battery, but it does not power connected devices like cordless phones.

Sources checked for this page

Checked 2026-10-01. Rules and rates change; the official source wins over anything written here.

Know someone who needs this?

Something changed here? Text PJ and we'll update this page.

More free local tools: the North County toolkit.