AT&T is implementing a major operational overhaul, aiming to reduce its total headcount to approximately 130,900 employees by June 2026. The company plans to cut about 8,000 jobs in 2025 and an additional 2,100 positions in the first half of 2026.
The strategy focuses on transitioning from legacy copper networks to fiber infrastructure. AT&T has secured FCC approvals to discontinue copper services in over 30% of its national wire centers by late 2026, with that figure reaching 60% in California.
The company targets 40 million fiber locations by the end of 2026 and over 60 million by 2030. This expansion involves organic growth, the acquisition of Lumen Technologies assets, and the Gigapower joint venture with BlackRock.
AT&T aims to achieve $4 billion in annual cost savings by the end of 2028. The company intends to leverage AI-driven automation and reduced maintenance requirements of fiber networks to improve efficiency, following a year where it generated $122 billion in revenue.
