California regulators challenge AT&T bid to end copper phone service in parts of the state, pressuring T stock

California’s Public Utilities Commission has urged a court and the FCC to reject AT&T’s request to stop offering traditional copper-wire phone service to new customers in parts of the state, saying the carrier-of-last-resort obligation is technology-neutral. The CPUC also argues AT&T has not shown that replacement options would meet state standards for all affected users. The pushback could keep AT&T maintaining aging copper lines alongside newer fiber, raising costs and slowing the company’s cost-cutting timeline. The article adds that the regulatory drag compounds technical weakness in the shares, which are below major moving averages with softer MACD momentum.