Last chance to comment on AT&T landline issue is online hearing Tuesday, March 19
MENDOCINO Co., 3/18/24 —Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19 is the last chance to comment on AT&T’s plan to end landline service in much of rural Northern California. You can attend online meetings at 2.p.m and 6.pm. and offer a public comment.
Here is the link to the two Tuesday, March 19 hearings, which you can watch remotely. You can also read this letter imploring people to comment from the California Public Utilities Commission: A Message from the California Public Utilities Commission
AT&T has asked to be relieved of its responsibilities as an eligible telecommunications carrier and to be relieved of being a carrier of last resort, two legal designations that require the company to provide phone service.
Locals opposed these plans overwhelmingly during late February’s public hearing in Ukiah. People talked about how often cell phones go down and how landlines are often the sole communication source during power outages.
This reporter cannot get a reliable cell signal at my house in Cleone, located less than 1/10th of a mile from State Highway 1 in the Ward Avenue subdivision. During power outages, I can only call people by pulling out a 1980s dial phone that does not use electricity, hooking it up to the landline and calling others who have landlines. 911 also has not worked for me except on the landline. AT&T representatives were booed at the Ukiah meeting when a representative said there was plenty of service and “robust competition,” and another representative was not able to answer what will happen if and when AT&T cuts the landlines, which the company calls “copper” lines or wirelines.
The utility’s two applications can be found by searching for AT&T California (A2303002 & A2303003). Anyone interested in submitting written comments can be do so here.
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