Technology
Will a major metropolitan area (pop. > 3 million) fully decommission its legacy copper telephony network (POTS) before 2028?
Forecasting the end of the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in a major urban center.
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Analysis
The End of Copper: POTS Decommissioning in Major Metro by 2028
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), relying on copper wires (POTS), is obsolete, expensive to maintain, and energy-inefficient. Telecom companies are eager to transition all voice and data services to modern infrastructure (fiber, 5G, VoIP). This prediction is that a major metropolitan area with a population exceeding 3 million will fully decommission its legacy copper telephony network (POTS) before the end of 2028.
Regulatory and Logistical Challenges
The shutdown is complex because legacy copper still serves critical services like fire alarms, elevator emergency phones, and some government infrastructure. Decommissioning requires a massive logistical effort to migrate all users and services to a modern, reliable fiber or wireless alternative.
Several countries (like the UK and Japan) have set national deadlines, and major U.S. carriers are pursuing approvals to retire large portions of their copper networks. The 2028 deadline is feasible for an area with strong public-private cooperation and a high existing penetration of fiber and mobile services, marking the definitive transition to an all-digital communication infrastructure.