California says AT&T lied to FCC in attempt to shut off old phone network
Summary
California state regulators accused AT&T of lying to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about shutting down its old copper phone network without giving a proper replacement. The state says AT&T wants to replace wired phone lines with wireless service, but wireless service does not fully cover indoor areas or meet quality and safety needs.Key Facts
- AT&T wants to stop providing phone service over its old copper network to about 199,000 customers in California.
- California’s Public Utilities Commission disagrees, saying AT&T is allowed to upgrade copper lines to fiber optics but can't just switch to wireless services.
- AT&T claims state rules force it to keep the copper lines, but California denies this is true.
- AT&T tried to get the FCC to override California’s rules to allow the shutdown of copper lines.
- California says wireless service does not provide reliable indoor voice coverage needed to replace wired phone service.
- The FCC’s broadband and LTE coverage maps show outdoor coverage, not indoor or reliable voice coverage.
- Lack of guaranteed service quality, price concerns, and 911 emergency service access are issues with wireless replacement.
- California’s 2008 policy encourages fiber upgrades to improve service rather than delaying them with restrictions on copper line retirement.
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