Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- AT&T plans to phase out its copper landline network by 2029, moving customers to the digital AT&T Phone-Advanced service.
- Phone-Advanced offers spam call blocking, compatibility with home alarms and fax machines, 24-hour battery backup, and the ability to store users’ existing numbers.
- The new service promises lower monthly costs, and some customers have already significantly reduced their bills.
You might think that landlines are a thing of the past, but nearly 70 million Americans still use them. AT&T customers make up a fraction of these landline users, with the company’s copper network spanning 21 states. But by the end of 2029, the carrier wants to retire most of its landline network and replace people’s dumb copper-line phones with a new generation. AT&T Phone-Advanced.
according to BloombergAT&T is currently in the process of persuading its landline customers to switch to AT&T Phone-Advanced before shutting down its copper network entirely. The carrier also needs to wrestle with the FCC to pull the plug on traditional landline service, which it hopes to gain by convincing the regulator that Phone-Advanced is a viable home phone replacement.
So how advanced was the AT&T phone? It’s a digital phone service that uses AT&T’s cellular network and can also connect to any home broadband connection. The device itself looks like a Wi-Fi router equipped with two antennas. It plugs into a power outlet and you can plug your existing landline into it – no need to buy a new phone. The device also comes with a 24-hour battery backup in case of a power outage, thus performing the same function as a landline. Best of all, landline users can continue to use the same number. This is great for people who are stuck with their old home phone numbers and don’t want to give them up. They will keep the number and get a more modern home phone experience.
In addition, AT&T Phone-Advanced can detect and block spam calls, going one step further than a traditional landline. The carrier said it will work with common home alarms, medical monitoring devices and even fax machines.
All in all, the service should be much cheaper than paying for a landline. AT&T has already migrated more than 16,000 customers to the new devices. In one case, a landline user’s monthly bill went from $120 to $40 after switching to Phone-Advanced.
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