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January 27, 2024 - The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) reports the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold in-person as well as virtual public forums to receive customer input regarding AT&T’s pending Application to discontinue copper landline phone service. 

AT&T is a “Carrier of Last Resort” (COLR) and, thereby, required to provide “Plain Old Telephone Service,” also known as POTS or landline phone service, upon request to all residential and business customers. POTS has a uniform set of minimum service standards and regulations that does not extend to new technologies that provide similar service, such as wireline Voice Over IP (VoIP). While it is not unusual for one company to replace another as a COLR, AT&T is requesting permission to abandon its COLR obligation without finding a replacement.  

If approved by the CPUC, over 580,000 affected AT&T customers would be left with fewer options in terms of choice, quality, and affordability. Alternative services, such as VoIP and wireless, have no obligation to serve a customer or to provide equivalent services to AT&T landline customers, including no obligation to provide reliable access to 9-1-1 or LifeLine program discounts.  

Public comments may also be submitted here.  

RCRC opposes AT&T’s Application and is a formal party to this proceeding. For more information, see the CPUC website here, or contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Tracy Rhine or RCRC Policy Advocate Leigh Kammerich.

Public Hearing Schedule 

WHEN	FORMAT	LOCATION
February 6, 2024 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.	In-person only	Clovis City Council Chambers  1033 5th Street, Clovis, CA 93612
February 22, 2024   2 p.m. and 6 p.m.	In-person only	Mendocino County Board of Supervisors  501 Low Gap Road, Room 1070, Ukiah, CA 95482
March 14, 2024 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.	In-person only	Indio City Hall Council Chambers  100 Civic Center Mall, Indio, CA 92201
March 19, 2024 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.	Virtual only	Remote access via webcast or phone.  Live video broadcast with English or Spanish captions via webcast: www.adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc  Phone: 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 6032788#

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ABOUT RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA (RCRC)
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-seven member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties. RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties. To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Source: RCRC