Lumen Accelerates Copper Retirement in Four States
Lumen Technologies plans to retire aging copper networks faster in Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Utah and recover the metal for sale.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Telecommunications
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Lumen Technologies plans to speed up retirement of its aging copper networks in Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Utah, and to recover and sell the copper from those lines. The company announced the plan with its third-quarter 2026 results on November 4, 2026.
Why it matters
CEO Kate Johnson framed the move as recognition that recovered copper carries more economic value than maintaining outdated infrastructure. For U.S. consumers and businesses, the shift signals how legacy telecom networks are being repurposed as operators prioritize newer connectivity services.
Lumen's own projections put pretax copper recovery proceeds at $1 billion to $1.5 billion over five years, against $200 million to $300 million in yearly capital spending to keep legacy copper running. The four states hold about 25% of the company's copper footprint, and the range depends on market conditions.
The players
Lumen Technologies
A major U.S. telecommunications company that operates a large fiber and legacy copper network across the country.
Kate Johnson
The chief executive officer of Lumen Technologies, who framed the copper retirement as a shift toward more valuable recovered materials.
The details
Lumen plans to accelerate the retirement of aging copper networks in four states and to recover and sell the copper from them. The move comes as the company reported strategic revenue up 10% year over year to $1.28 billion, making up 55% of its overall business revenue.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: Lumen reported third-quarter 2026 results and outlined the copper plan.
Over the next five years: Lumen expects copper recovery proceeds of $1 billion to $1.5 billion.
Big Picture
The copper retirement extends Lumen's private connectivity fabric strategy, which has passed $13.5 billion in cumulative deals and added $700 million in the third quarter alone. It reflects a broader move away from legacy copper toward networks built for AI-driven traffic, which has grown more than 1,000% on Lumen's backbone since April 2026.
Customers still relying on copper lines in Florida, Iowa, Nevada and Utah may see service migrations as networks are retired. The company has not said how quickly those transitions will reach individual households.
The takeaway
Legacy copper is being treated as a recoverable asset as telecom operators shift capital toward newer networks. Readers in the affected states should watch for notices about service changes as retirements proceed.
Further reading
For more on how telecom networks are changing, see Telecommunications coverage across the United States.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Crypto Briefing.
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