Summary
May 31, 2024
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Dear President Reynolds and Commissioners,
On behalf of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I write in strong support of Administrative Law Judge Glegola’s Proposed Decision to dismiss AT&T California’s application for relief from their Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations, submitted on May 10, 2024. If approved, AT&T’s application would have canceled service to over 580,000 customers relying on Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) under their COLR obligations.
Maintaining the COLR obligations is crucial in ensuring that all residents have access to essential communication services, regardless of their geographic location or economic status. We shared the concerns of many other counties that AT&T’s proposals would have disproportionately affected critical, lifeline coverage to senior citizens, low-income households, and residents in rural and underserved areas who rely on POTS.
Like most California counties, Marin faces the threat of natural disasters like earthquakes, fires, and flooding. During emergencies, copper landlines are the most dependable form of communication – especially during power outages. In rural areas, they can also become the only connectivity available. We also share serious equity concerns with AT&T’s proposal. For some of the most vulnerable residents, especially those in more geographically remote and rural areas without cell phone reception, approval of AT&T’s application would result in customers either: paying more for telephone service; receiving lower quality service; being required to purchase phone service as part of an expensive “bundle”; and/or receiving no phone service at all.
The Commission’s COLR withdrawal rules require a new COLR to volunteer to replace the one withdrawing. No potential COLR applied to replace AT&T. Given these facts and the harmful public safety and equity impacts AT&T’s proposal would have on Californians, we respectfully ask the CPUC to accept the Proposed Decision to dismiss AT&T’s application.
Sincerely,
Dennis Rodoni, President
Marin County Board of Supervisors
Cc: Marin County Board of Supervisors
Senator Mike McGuire
Assemblymember Damon Connolly
View the document
This document may not work with all assistive technology and is being remediated. For alternative formats, please email Talia Smith or phone 415-473-6358. To use the California relay service, dial 711.