Verizon Seeks to End Pennsylvania Landline Service

Verizon has asked state regulators to let it discontinue landline phone service for roughly 200,000 Pennsylvania customers.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Utilities

Verizon Seeks to End Pennsylvania Landline Service

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Verizon has proposed ending its landline telephone service in Pennsylvania, which about 200,000 customers currently use. The request has been filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which is reviewing it.

Why it matters

The company says its landline network is outdated and expensive to maintain, while roughly 2,000 customers rely on the service for emergency calls and medical alert systems. The outcome will determine whether those customers keep a traditional phone line statewide.

Verizon's Pennsylvania landline service serves about 200,000 customers, and about 2,000 of them depend on it for emergency and medical alert calls. The state regulator has not yet decided whether the service can be discontinued.

The players

Verizon

Verizon is a major U.S. telecommunications company that operates landline and wireless phone networks across the country.

Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is the state agency that regulates utilities, including telephone service, and must approve requests to discontinue service.

The details

Verizon filed its request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which has received two public comment periods on the proposal. The service is subject to a Gold service requirement under state rules, which the commission will weigh in its review.

Verizon's discontinuance request was reported on November 1, 2026.

Utility Context

Verizon's request is measured against Pennsylvania's Gold service requirement, which sets service standards that telephone providers must meet. The commission's ruling will show how that requirement applies when a provider seeks to retire a landline network still used by thousands of customers.

Customers who depend on a landline for emergency calls or medical alert devices could lose that service if the commission approves the request. Pennsylvanians who rely on a landline should watch for the commission's decision and any notice from Verizon about service changes.

The takeaway

Households that depend on a landline for emergency or medical alert calls should confirm their backup options before any discontinuance takes effect. The commission's ruling will decide whether those options are needed sooner rather than later.