The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected AT&T’s bid to end landline service in rural parts of the state, a move that could have left thousands of West Marin residents with no way to communicate during emergencies.
The commissioners voted 5-0 to rebuff the company’s request to end its so-called carrier-of-last-resort status, which requires it to provide a landline to anyone who requests one. The commissioners decided that the end of copper-wire phone lines would leave too many customers in the lurch.
“Our vote to dismiss AT&T’s application made clear that we will protect customer access to basic telephone service—no matter where they live, income, or access to other forms of communication,” Commissioner John Reynolds said.
In many parts of the state, including much of West Marin, cell and internet service are unreliable even when the power is on. During blackouts, people without landlines are left with no means of communication during wildfires, earthquakes, health crises and other emergencies.
AT&T argued that its copper lines are outmoded and expensive to maintain and that alternatives such as cell service and broadband computer lines provide reliable alternatives nearly everywhere.
“Continuing to upgrade, maintain and build out that network for only a very small customer base is very expensive,” said Tedi Vriheas, vice president of external relations for AT&T California. “So every dollar we continue to invest in the copper network prevents us from putting that money into advanced services like fiber and wireless.”
But the commissioners said the company’s application was “fatally flawed” because the state’s telecommunications rules require universal phone service and rely on carriers of last resort to provide it.
In the months leading up to last Thursday’s decision, thousands of customers from across California wrote to the commissioners, beseeching them to reject AT&T’s request. They were elated by the commissioners’ decision.
“It is wonderful in this moment in history to see that governance can still work,” said Harriet Barlow, a Point Reyes Station resident whose cell service is spotty. “The people can still be heard.”
Officials from the state’s rural regions also lobbied hard against AT&T’s application.
“For many rural communities, alternative telecommunication methods do not exist and landlines are essential, particularly for emergency service notifications,” said Patrick Blacklock, president of the Rural County Representatives of California. “We are grateful to the P.U.C for recognizing the continued importance of landline service as an essential safety net tool for many Californians, especially in disaster-prone areas.”
AT&T began notifying customers in January that it hoped to abandon its responsibilities as a carrier of last resort, typically the sole or largest telecommunications provider in a region. The C.P.U.C. requires carriers of last resort to provide affordable, traditional landline service to any customer in their service territory, along with basic services such as 911 calls and directory assistance.
“AT&T tried to convince the commission to violate its own rules and allow them to just walk out the door, but the commission said no,” said Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group.
But even as they rejected AT&T’s request, the commissioners agreed to revisit and update their carrier-of-last-resort requirements, which were established long before the dawn of cell phones and voice-over-internet phones. Though the commission could drop requirements for some old services, such as directory assistance, it could add new ones, such as making companies guarantee universal access to both reliable broadband internet and backup power to ensure that internet runs during emergencies.
“Whatever changes they make, they absolutely have to guarantee reliable service for every Californian,” Ms. Costa said. “That’s the bottom line.”
But according to Ms. Costa, AT&T is now seeking to bypass the commissioners’ ruling by lobbying for state legislation that would allow it to determine on its own whether a community has sufficient alternative service to justify removing landlines.
“The P.U.C., under A.B. 2797, would have no authority to examine those claims, and the public would have absolutely no input,” she said. “AT&T is trying to do a complete end run around the commission and strong-arm the legislature. AT&T fully intends to turn out the lights and walk away from providing landline service in many communities and neighborhoods if this bill passes.”
But Marc Blakeman, president of AT&T California, said the bill would merely allow the company to upgrade services efficiently while ensuring universal access.
“We are fully committed to keeping our customers connected while we work with state leaders on policies that create a thoughtful transition that brings modern communications to all Californians,” he said in a statement.
The former president of AT&T Illinois was indicted for attempting to bribe the speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives while lobbying for a bill that called for ending universal landline coverage in that state.