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AT&T customers are glad it's fixing a thorny issue. T-Mobile might follow
There's no question about how customers feel about AT&T's reshoring of customer care.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
T-Mobile is also shifting away from outsourcing. | Image by Light Reading
Following Charter's announcement to bring Cox's customer support onshore, AT&T has decided to move its call center operations back to the US. This decision comes after a proposal from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) aimed at improving customer service standards.
We wanted to know how our readers felt about the shift. The responses weren't surprising.
While overseas call centers cut costs, customers aren't big fans of them, given the language and cultural barriers. Add security and privacy concerns to the mix, and it's easy to see why the FCC is pushing for reshoring.
AT&T is moving quickly, aiming to serve all internet and postpaid wireless customers with US-based agents by the end of next year.
Of the 693 readers who participated in our poll, 77% expressed relief over the decision. Around 15% preferred overseas reps over the AI bots that seem to be taking over customer service. A mere 7% said they had never run into problems with offshore reps.
Offshore reps don't always have strong English skills, which can make clear communication tough. Agents sometimes struggle to comprehend customer queries. Other times, they aren't articulate in their responses. As a result, queries remain unresolved, leading to customer frustration.
T-Mobile recently announced it's bringing customer service operations back in-house, though it hasn't specified whether that includes relocating international call centers to the US. Regardless, moving away from third-party outsourcing is a start and gives the company tighter control over training and service quality.
T-Mobile also confirmed that top brass will spend time in retail stores and call centers, further hinting that it has heard complaints about subpar support. Even if the company doesn't reshore right away, customers are still likely to notice a boost in quality.
The FCC isn't trying to ban international call centers outright. It's more interested in improving how customers are served. To that end, it has proposed imposing English proficiency standards on representatives and caps on offshore calls.
The idea isn't necessarily to have domestic call centers only. It's to ensure effective communication, transparency, and security.
AT&T is going all-in on reshoring, while T-Mobile is still hashing out its strategy. Verizon, meanwhile, is exercising parsimony, but leaving customer care to foreign locations and bots while its main rivals bring support in-house could end up costing it.
We wanted to know how our readers felt about the shift. The responses weren't surprising.
A collective sigh of relief
While overseas call centers cut costs, customers aren't big fans of them, given the language and cultural barriers. Add security and privacy concerns to the mix, and it's easy to see why the FCC is pushing for reshoring.
Of the 693 readers who participated in our poll, 77% expressed relief over the decision. Around 15% preferred overseas reps over the AI bots that seem to be taking over customer service. A mere 7% said they had never run into problems with offshore reps.
Poll
693 Votes
How do you feel about the decision?
Why are consumers thankful?
Offshore reps don't always have strong English skills, which can make clear communication tough. Agents sometimes struggle to comprehend customer queries. Other times, they aren't articulate in their responses. As a result, queries remain unresolved, leading to customer frustration.
Att does make you verify to heck and back but their telephone customer service is atrocious. Long wait times, hard to communicate with overseas reps.
Chronusking, Reddit user, February 2026
...they outsource to foreign countries as the english isnt the best. and you really dont get quality customer service.
Emotional-Tiger227, Reddit user, March 2026
T-Mobile might follow
T-Mobile recently announced it's bringing customer service operations back in-house, though it hasn't specified whether that includes relocating international call centers to the US. Regardless, moving away from third-party outsourcing is a start and gives the company tighter control over training and service quality.
One of many proposals
The FCC isn't trying to ban international call centers outright. It's more interested in improving how customers are served. To that end, it has proposed imposing English proficiency standards on representatives and caps on offshore calls.
The idea isn't necessarily to have domestic call centers only. It's to ensure effective communication, transparency, and security.
AT&T is going all-in on reshoring, while T-Mobile is still hashing out its strategy. Verizon, meanwhile, is exercising parsimony, but leaving customer care to foreign locations and bots while its main rivals bring support in-house could end up costing it.
It's not surprising that customers are appreciating the move:
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