Here’s why some Californians could lose telephone landline service

By Lysée Mitri

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    CALIFORNIA (KCRA) — People got the chance to weigh in for the first time on Tuesday as access to telephone landline service could be in jeopardy for some Californians.

It is a service that some say they depend on, especially in case of emergencies.

“Yeah, we’re kind of pretty much stranded out here without a landline,” said Wendy Cosbie, who lives in the Nevada City area and uses AT&T for her telephone landline.”We need basic landline for emergencies, if nothing else, emergencies.”

Cosbie does have a cellphone, but she said the service just is not reliable where she lives.

So, when she got a letter in the mail, she got worried. It informed her that AT&T is asking the regulatory agency that oversees it, the California Public Utilities Commission, for permission to withdraw from its obligation as “Carrier of Last Resort.” That means the company would no longer have to offer landline telephone service in parts of the state, including areas of San Joaquin, Sacramento, Placer and Nevada counties.

Tuesday marked the start of forums, allowing the public to weigh in before the CPUC makes a decision.

“They really can’t do this,” Cosbie said. “They’re leaving us, so many people, without communication, without emergency communication.”

KCRA 3 took the concerns to AT&T Vice President of External Affairs Tedi Vriheas.

“We’re not turning off people’s landlines tomorrow. We’re here to help connect and to make sure people transition from old, antiquated technology to fiber and other new technologies that are to come,” Vriheas said.

Vriheas also added that if there are no “viable alternatives” that the company would continue being the carrier of last resort for those instances.

The company said its traditional copper network for landline phone services has come to the end of its lifecycle and that it is used by less than 7% of households in their service territory, although they would not say how many customers that actually amounts to.

“Lots and lots of people in Nevada County are in the same boat,” Cosbie said.

She is hoping others make their voices heard.

The CPUC is holding a series of public forums for customers to share their thoughts on the issue. The first two hearings happened in Clovis on Tuesday.

KCRA reached out to the CPUC to clarify that if AT&T’s application is approved, then no company would be required to offer free 9-1-1 landline services in those areas. The CPUC said it is possible another provider could step in to serve them, but it is not a guarantee.

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