Rural residents worry they’ll be disconnected by Verizon’s plan to end Wisconsin landlines

Some in rural Wisconsin communities say a plan to cut landline telephone service on or after Nov. 16 could leave thousands of Wisconsinites disconnected. The planned change comes as part of a push to modernize Verizon’s communication network, according to the company. Statewide, Verizon estimates 3,500 addresses — both commercial and residential — could be affected by the closing of the copper lines. The final impact analysis hasn’t been completed. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. LinkedIn This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Email Subscribe In Oneida County, that could leave upwards of 200 people in the Northwoods without access to the outside world, according to Tony Pharo, the Oneida County Economic Development Director. “This has become an emergency situation,” Pharo said. Pharo said his office has fielded calls from multiple neighboring counties, from residents and out-of-area families, saying they need their landlines — because in some parts of the Northwoods, internet and cell service are nonexistent. “There’s no view to the sky for (satellite internet service) Starlink, so the only way they communicate is with this copper line,” Pharo said. The landline service is operated by a company called Frontier, which is run by Verizon. In August, Frontier announced it had received federal authority to end “plain old telephone service” in areas with access to other options. Pharo said he’s concerned the company and people outside rural northern Wisconsin do not understand how few other options there are. “I wish that they would come up and look at our environment,” he said. “It’s a little different than the rest of the state.” Verizon also plans to retire 136 landline service centers statewide. In letter to Baldwin, Verizon says no one will be left behind Several months ago, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin requested more information from Verizon about the project and what Verizon would do to keep residents connected. On Oct. 28, Verizon responded in a letter to Baldwin that outlined how the company planned to check on residents and keep communication lines open. “Most importantly, if an FCC-approved voice service replacement is not yet available for a customer, we will not discontinue their current copper voice service,” Verizon’s letter states. At the time of the letter, Verizon said it had no plans to immediately disconnect any Wisconsin customers — and will not do so until it has completed all required legal steps. “Customers are also free to explore the numerous service alternatives that are available,” the letter states. While copper lines were essential to phone service for generations, Verizon’s letter states that most Wisconsin customers now pick “more reliable” fiber and wireless services. “Maintaining an aging, parallel copper network for a small and shrinking number of users diverts crucial resources away from future investment,” the letter states. Residents are worried about being left off the hook Many of the affected residents live on back roads, surrounded by lakes and trees, Pharo said, where the only reliable way to communicate is a copper phone line. “It affects the elderly more than anyone,” he said. Another common concern is the impact to the push-button Life Alert emergency system, Pharo said. Residents are worried it may not work, as it uses copper landlines. In Verizon’s letter, the company said all affected Wisconsin customers would have access to “reliable voice service” — including emergency communications — during and after the line closures. Alternatives to landlines may include fiber-optic internet connections, or connecting a landline number to the cellphone network, according to Verizon. But those options could cause their own challenges for rural places, Pharo said. “If these folks could have used wireless, they would have used them before,” he said. Over 5,200 Oneida County residents do not have high-speed internet, Pharo said. Work is planned to address that need, but won’t be finished until 2030. Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Related Stories As farm bill advances, SNAP cuts worry Wisconsin farmers’ market vendor After decades of broadband expansion, rural Wisconsinites still face ‘last mile’ problem Group seeks to fight ‘largest transmission line ever constructed’ in Wisconsin Wisconsin’s lead pipe count is falling. But the search isn’t over. Wisconsin village faces mail delivery delays amid financial crisis for US Postal Service