SACRAMENTO, Calif. — AT&T wants to end its obligation to maintain traditional landline networks throughout the company's service territory in California. It means residents in rural areas who rely on these landlines could get their cords cut.
The California Public Utilities Commission first designated AT&T as the phone Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) in 1996 when most homes still used copper-based landlines.
"The COLR obligation made sense in the monopolistic environment of 40 years ago but it makes no sense given today's robust competition from a wide variety of providers that have now deployed broadband networks," the company said in its CPUC filing.
Representatives of AT&T said in a recent filing that traditional phone service lines have plummeted more than 89% since 2000. AT&T told ABC10 that less than 7% of homes in its services are currently using the copper-based lines.
But telecom policy director for The Utility Reform Network (TURN) Regina Costa says copper-based phone service remains the most reliable kind for California residents in rural areas.
Costa says mobile phones are good to have, but if the power goes out, using a traditional landline would be the customer's best bet.
"AT&T benefited a lot from the fact it was the only game in town—now basically they want to cut and run," she said. "A lot of cell phone services don't work in rural areas."
Here is a map of areas where AT&T could end traditional landline services:
"Landline telephone is a lifeline and AT&T wants to take it away," Costa said.
The California Public Utilities Commission is hosting public forums through March for AT&T customers to voice their concerns about the company's request to end its COLR status.
At least one company representative will be available to answer questions at the forum about individual customer bills or services.
AT&T told ABC10 in a statement that voice service would remain regardless of the CPUC decision.
"Our application with the CPUC seeks changes to outdated regulatory requirements and an approved process to help consumers transition from outdated services to modern services," the statement says. "This is an important part of closing the digital divide and ensuring that no California household is reliant on outdated technology and more Californians have access to affordable and reliable broadband.”
Commission members will decide on AT&T's request after the upcoming public forums, which include:
- Feb. 22 from 2-6 p.m. in-person at Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on 501 Low Gap Road, #1070, Ukiah
- March 14 from 2-6 p.m. in-person at Indio City Hall Council Chambers on 100 Civic Center Mall, Indio
- March 19 from 2-6 p.m. virtually
(Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify statements that came from its CUPC filing.)
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