CONSUMER FACT SHEET 
                                         

  Protecting Consumers and Promoting Modern 
          Networks – Technology Transitions  
                                        
Today’s communications marketplace offers consumers and businesses a vast array of 
advanced services that better meet their needs, compared to the legacy voice service 
that first connected Americans in the 19th century.  
With these advanced services come several benefits, such as better protections against 
robocalls, next-generation 911 services, enhanced network reliability, and access to 
telehealth services. 
Recognizing these benefits, the majority of households are now wireless-only or 
wireless combined with an over-the-top Internet-based home phone, commonly referred 
to as a VoIP service. VoIP services work with just about any Internet connection.   
Household voice connections by the numbers:  
   •  76% of adults live in wireless-only households    
   •  79% of all fixed home voice connections are VoIP  
   •  5% of households in the United States have a legacy copper phone service, with 
      many also having an active mobile service  
To ensure that every American can benefit from enhanced service offerings made 
possible by network modernization, the FCC is cutting the red tape that prevented 
providers from upgrading their networks by replacing aging copper lines with modern 
infrastructure. 
These network upgrades, often called technology transitions, occur when carriers shut 
down an old service or technology to provide a newer one. The FCC is easing 
burdens on providers and preempting state and local requirements that slow down this 
important transition.  
While we build for the future, we are also focused on preserving consumer protections 
and access to critical emergency services.  
Consumers will continue to receive:  
   •  Customer notifications: When a company decides to completely discontinue a 
      service, it must notify its customers and get FCC permission before turning off 
      the service. When a telephone company simply stops offering an older voice 
      service to new customers, existing customers will continue to receive that 
      service until they no longer want it, and the telephone company will tell those 
      customers that the service is being grandfathered.  
       

Published: March 30, 2026 

                                        CONSUMER FACT SHEET 
                                         


   •  Access to 911 services: In many cases, upgraded networks 
      will facilitate advanced 911 services that allow location information and pictures 
      or video to be shared with first responders.  

   •  Adequate replacement services (or alternative service options): Before a 
      provider can request permission from the FCC to discontinue a service, they 
      must ensure that adequate replacement voice services are available in any area 
      where the primary provider is discontinuing copper voice services. 
      Currently, over 99.4% of homes and small businesses have access to 4G or 5G 
      mobile services, and over 97% of homes and small businesses 
      can immediately upgrade to a modern fixed Internet-based communications 
      service.  
Other changes to Commission rules will be largely invisible to consumers. They pave 
the way for improvements and more advanced connections between providers at the 
network level. These changes will not impact consumers’ current service offerings or 
delivery.   
Learn more by visiting: www.fcc.gov/tech-transitions 
 


Published: March 30, 2026