Draft order would facilitate a more connected future for more Americans living and working in the company’s rural and suburban communities
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — March 5, 2026 — Brightspeed, the nation’s third-largest fiber broadband builder focused on empowering more homes with ultrafast, reliable internet, announced its strong support of today’s draft order released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the leadership of Commission Chairman Carr. The order would further streamline the process for discontinuing legacy voice services and retiring aging copper networks, which is a critical step in accelerating the nation’s transition to modern, fiber-based infrastructure.
The draft order builds on the Commission’s 2025 actions that gave providers a clearer, more predictable pathway to retire legacy copper facilities. By codifying improvements previously granted through waiver and introducing additional refinements consistent with industry advocacy, the Commission is advancing policies that promote investment, innovation and reliable service for consumers.
“At Brightspeed, our strategy is centered on transforming legacy infrastructure into a modern, fiber-first network that delivers the speed, reliability and performance our customers expect,” said Brightspeed General Counsel Wyre Marshall. “The FCC’s action helps remove unnecessary barriers to that transition, allowing us to move more efficiently from outdated copper facilities to advanced fiber technology that better meets today’s connectivity needs.”
Across its 20-state footprint, Brightspeed is investing billions of dollars in the deployment of its high-speed fiber broadband network capable of supporting the evolving needs of households, businesses, schools and healthcare providers. Aging copper networks are more costly to maintain, less resilient to the elements and increasingly outdated and unsupportive of new technologies. This action by the FCC would allow providers to focus resources on building and maintaining advanced networks that better serve customers now and well into the future.
The FCC’s draft order reflects the realities of today’s marketplace, where consumers overwhelmingly rely on broadband-based and wireless services rather than traditional copper-based voice offerings. By modernizing the regulatory framework to align with these market trends, the Commission is helping ensure that policy keeps pace with technology.
“Modern networks require modern rules,” Marshall added. “We appreciate the leadership of the FCC in advancing policies that support investment, strengthen service reliability and expand access to high-speed broadband. Brightspeed looks forward to the Commission’s consideration of the order later this month.”
The FCC is scheduled to vote on the draft order at its March 26 open meeting.
About Brightspeed
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. and with assets and associated operations in 20 states, Brightspeed provides broadband and telecommunications services through a network platform capable of serving more than 7.3 million homes and businesses. Our nearly 4,000 employees are committed to building a future where more communities benefit from a more connected life, deploying a state-of-the-art fiber network and a customer experience that makes being connected as simple as it should be. For more information, please visit www.brightspeed.com.
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