A 91-year-old Salem woman’s account of reaching emergency help after a fall last year illustrates a regulatory battle now before the FCC, as WDBJ reports that Verizon is seeking approval to begin retiring copper-based home phone lines as early as October 23, 2026.
Casimerette Meyer, who lives alone on a Salem property where cell service drops regularly and fiber cables have not yet reached her road, says her copper landline was the only thing that let her summon help after breaking her hip.
Without it, she told WDBJ, she would have remained on the floor…