AT&T Can Substitute Wireless Home Phone for Copper, FCC Says
- Phone giant is looking to retire older, costlier landlines
- Oklahoma decision could set precedent for other markets
AT&T Inc. introduced a landline alternative a year and a half ago that’s compatible with home handsets and services like alarms and medical alerts.
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The Federal Communications Commission gave AT&T Inc. an early Christmas present: permission to replace old copper home-phone lines with a new wireless landline technology.
The regulatory step is narrow, affecting only a smattering of Oklahoma residences where AT&T is seeking to retire the older and expensive technology. But it’s also a vote of confidence in the company’s new home-phone technology and could open the door for transitioning more communities.