Is Your ATM Still on a Phone Line? What AT&T's Copper Shutdown Means for Alabama Businesses

A lot of ATMs in Alabama still make a phone call every time someone takes out cash.

It sounds old-fashioned because it is. Many older ATMs connect to their processor the same way a fax machine does: through a copper phone line plugged into the wall. For years, that worked fine.

That's changing. AT&T is shutting down its old copper phone network, and parts of Alabama are already on the list. If your ATM depends on one of those lines, the day the line goes dead is the day your ATM stops handing out cash.

Here's what's happening, how to tell if you're affected, and how to switch before it becomes an emergency.

What is AT&T's copper shutdown?

Traditional landlines run on copper wire. It's the network that has carried phone calls for most of the last century. It's expensive to maintain, and phone companies are replacing it with fiber and wireless.

AT&T has said it plans to shut down its copper-based services across most of its footprint by the end of 2029. It's already moving. The FCC recently approved AT&T to stop legacy services in about 500 wire centers, roughly 10% of its footprint, with that approval set to take effect in June 2026.

In areas AT&T calls "wireless-first," where fiber isn't planned, its goal is to have no customers left on copper by the end of 2027, according to DataRemote, a company that makes landline replacement equipment for AT&T.

Is Alabama affected?

Yes. According to MetTel, a telecom provider that tracks these notices, AT&T sent formal notice of permanent service discontinuance in select wire centers in 18 states as of June 30, 2025. Alabama is one of them.

Two details matter for business owners:

• The timing depends on your local phone office. Not every area shuts down at once. Your neighbor across town could be on a different schedule.
• Once a formal notice goes out, the clock is short. MetTel reports that customers have only 180 days to move to another option after a full copper retirement notice.

Some businesses won't hear about it until the line stops working.

Why does this matter for your ATM?

An ATM can't hand out cash on its own. Every withdrawal has to be approved by the customer's bank through a processing network. The ATM needs a live connection to do that.

If your machine connects through a copper phone line and that line is shut off, the ATM goes down. It doesn't matter if it's full of cash. It doesn't matter if the machine itself is in perfect shape. No connection means no transactions.

And even before the shutdown, old phone lines cause problems. They drop calls, get noisy, and fail during storms. A lot of ATM downtime that looks like a machine problem is really a connection problem. We cover the other common causes in what an "out of order" ATM really costs you.

How do you know if your ATM uses a phone line?

Here are three quick ways to check:

1. Look for a phone cord. Check the back of the machine, or inside the cabinet if you have access. A cord running from the ATM to a wall phone jack is the giveaway.
2. Check your phone bill. If you're paying for a separate phone line that nobody uses for calls, it may be your ATM's line.
3. Ask your processor. They can tell you how your terminal connects.

Not sure? Send us your ATM's make and model. We'll help you figure it out.

What are your options?

You have two paths.

Option 1: Keep a phone line using a replacement device. Some companies sell boxes that mimic a landline over cellular or internet. These can work, but they add another device, another bill, and another thing that can fail.

Option 2: Switch your ATM to wireless. A wireless ATM uses a cellular modem, the same basic way a phone connects. No phone line. No internet. Just an electrical outlet.

For most ATM owners, going wireless is the simpler fix. It removes the phone line from the picture entirely.

How reliable is a wireless ATM connection?

This is the right question to ask. Not all wireless modems are equal.

We connect our machines through DPL Wireless, using the Hercules 4G LTE cellular modem. We consider it the most reliable wireless cellular system in the ATM industry. In a documented field trial, it had a 0.5% communication failure rate, compared with 4.5% for competing modems.

That connection is a big part of why our machines run at 98% uptime, documented in our remote monitoring system.

How do you switch your ATM to wireless?

If you own your ATM, here's how it works with us:

1. Tell us your machine's make and model and how it connects today.
2. We confirm your machine can be converted. Most modern retail ATMs can.
3. We provide the cellular equipment and set it up.
4. Your machine runs on wireless. Service is billed monthly per ATM. See wireless ATM service for details.

While you're at it, look at your processing. If you're paying more than you should or can't reach anyone when something breaks, we offer free ATM processing with 24/7 tech support and free programming help.

If your ATM is placed by an ATM company: ask them how it connects and what their plan is for the copper shutdown. If they don't have a good answer, that's worth knowing. Our free ATM placement machines are wireless from day one.

Don't wait for the line to go dead

The copper shutdown won't hit every business at the same time. That's what makes it easy to ignore.

But the businesses that wait are the ones that find out on a Friday night, with a full machine that can't hand out a single dollar. Checking takes five minutes. Switching takes far less time than a weekend of lost transactions.