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Telecommunications network transitions & your landline service

Navigating new Minnesota consumer protections, state regulatory oversight, and federal updates regarding legacy copper networks.

New law and FCC rule

Telecommunications infrastructure across the United States and Minnesota is shifting rapidly away from aging legacy copper networks (traditional landlines and DSL) toward high-speed fiber and IP-based networks. Two major recent developments govern this transition:  

Minnesota state statute 

Under a new Minnesota state law (effective July 1, 2026), telephone companies (such as CenturyLink and Frontier) that want to transition customers from legacy landline service to alternative telecommunications services must first file a formal customer transition plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and receive explicit Commission approval before moving forward. 

FCC rule  

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted FCC Order 26-19, which went into partial effect at the end of May 2026. This federal rule aims to accelerate the transition away from copper networks. 

The PUC’s role

The Commission is currently evaluating how the new federal FCC rules and Minnesota's state statute interact. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has asked parties and the public to weigh in on how these frameworks intersect. 

As an independent regulatory body, the Commission balances the modernization of state infrastructure with consumer protection by doing the following: 

  • Enforcing state law: The PUC ensures that carriers cannot unilaterally abandon legacy customers without a reviewed and approved customer transition plan. 

  • Reviewing carrier filings: The Commission evaluates specific utility applications (such as active Frontier transition proposals) to guarantee that communities keep reliable options. 

  • Weighing federal intersections: The PUC expects to learn more about how the federal rule coordinates with Minnesota’s oversight authority as implementation of the new law progresses. 

  • Assisting with complaints & dispute resolution: Through our Consumer Affairs Office, we step in to assist residents who experience service disruptions, forced migrations, or communication breakdowns with their providers. 

Who does this impact?

This transition could affect a wide range of Minnesota residents and businesses, particularly customers who currently use legacy copper-wire POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) or DSL. 

Open dockets & public comments

We strongly encourage customers and stakeholders to participate in our active proceedings. Your direct experiences help shape how the Commission evaluates utility transition plans. 

Open dockets: 

  • Docket 26-266 – Frontier Transition Plan for discontinuation of copper-based Plain Old Telephone Services (“POTS”) where customers in the affected area have access to one or more providers for the telecommunications service provided by Frontier. 

  • Docket 26-267 – Frontier’s Request to Relinquish Partial ETC Designation limited to those areas where Frontier does not currently serve customers over fiber-to-the-premises (“FTTP”) and does not anticipate deploying FTTP in the near future. 

Get Involved: Have you received a notice from your phone company about a landline shutdown? Share your comments directly on these open dockets via our Make a Comment Portal. 

Need assistance? Contact our Consumer Affairs Office

If you are having trouble with your telephone provider, experiencing unexpected service cutoffs, or navigating a disputed technology transition, you do not have to handle it alone. The PUC’s Consumer Affairs Office is available to help resolve disputes between consumers and utility companies. 

Online Support: File an online complaint or request help via the PUC Consumer Assistance Website.