Verizon Communications will decommission its existing copper wire facilities in multiple markets in Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia starting in 2018.

In a series of requests filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Verizon is asking to compel customers to switch service to Verizon’s FiOS optical fiber network or find another provider. While Verizon’s fiber network has a better reliability record than Verizon’s deteriorating copper facilities, some residential customers may be compelled to pay more for FiOS service than they used to pay for landline and DSL service over Verizon’s copper network. Their phone service may also no longer work in the event of a power failure.

“We will offer the service at a special rate for customers who migrate from copper to fiber as a result of the retirement of our copper facilities,” Verizon said, but the company did not guarantee that rate would not reset to regular priced FiOS service down the road.

Businesses may also have to invest in technology upgrades to switch to fiber optic service when Verizon pulls the plug on copper-delivered services.

The wire centers (central offices) where copper decommissioning is planned are disclosed in these company documents (click on links below to see if you are affected):

DELAWARE

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-DE
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-DE
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-DE

MARYLAND

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-MD
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-MD

MASSACHUSETTS

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-MA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-B-MA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-MA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-MA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-03-A-MA

NEW JERSEY

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-NJ
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-B-NJ
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-NJ
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-NJ
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-03-A-NJ

NEW YORK

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-NY
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-B-NY
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-NY
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-NY
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-C-NY
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-03-A-NY

PENNSYLVANIA

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-PA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-B-PA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-PA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-PA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-03-A-PA

RHODE ISLAND

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-RI
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-RI
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-03-A-RI

VIRGINIA

• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-A-VA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-01-B-VA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-A-VA
• Copper Retirement ID No. 2017-02-B-VA