When much of this infrastructure went into the ground, it was new and backed by armies of technicians who knew it inside and out. Fifty years later, that wire has been patched over many times. Moisture gets in after heavy rain. Replacement parts are harder to find, and the workforce that knows how to repair these systems is retiring faster than it can be replaced. When a copper line goes down today, the fix often takes longer and costs more than it used to, and it may not hold.

That’s why the path forward matters so much, and why I think the Federal Communications Commission got this right. Earlier this year, the FCC unanimously adopted a plan to modernize how carriers decommission copper. Commissioners from both parties voted for it, which is no small thing in today’s Washington. The plan clears away outdated processes that has slowed investment in better networks. Just as important, it keeps the federal government in the loop before a company can fully stop offering a service. The goal is a managed transition. It is not supposed to leave anyone stranded without a working way to call for help.