AT&T plans workforce cuts as it automates operations and shifts to fiber

AT&T is betting that the future of telecommunications runs on glass, not copper. And it’s willing to shed thousands of employees to prove it. The company is in the middle of a sweeping operational overhaul that pairs aggressive fiber network expansion with AI-driven automation, all aimed at convincing Wall Street it can do more with less. The math is straightforward: approximately 8,000 job cuts in 2025, another 2,100 in the first half of 2026, bringing total headcount down to roughly 130,900 employees by June 2026. The fiber gambit AT&T’s copper network is being methodically retired. The company has been securing FCC approvals to discontinue legacy copper services in more than 30% of its wire centers nationwide by late 2026. In California alone, that figure climbs to around 60%. Replacing it is an ambitious fiber rollout targeting over 60 million locations by 2030. The nearer-term milestone is 40 million fiber locations by the end of 2026, a target that combines organic buildout, the acquisition of Lumen Technologies’ fiber assets, and a joint venture with BlackRock called Gigapower. The financial case for the transition is stark. Revenue from AT&T’s legacy segment has...