AT&T Map Shows California Areas That Could Lose Service

Telecommunications company AT&T is trying to drop its obligation to provide landline phone services across large swathes of California, the state where it’s considered the carrier of last resort (COLR), despite residents’ protests.

A map shared by AT&T on its website shows the areas the company is trying to abandon in California cover much of the San Francisco larger metropolitan area, as well as Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego, from the north to the south of the state.

It isn’t yet clear whether California lawmakers are going to allow AT&T to cut its service in the state. In March 2023, the company filed an application to obtain “targeted relief” from its COLR obligation in California, which it called “outdated.”

According to the application, the COLR obligation requires AT&T California to maintain a copper-based network throughout the state, asking it to “wastefully operate and maintain two duplicative networks; one, an antiquated, narrowband network with an ever-dwindling base of subscribers, and the other, a forward-looking, fiber and wireless broadband network.” Even more crucially, none of AT&T’s “major competitors” in the state are asked to do the same.

Newsweek contacted AT&T’s media team for comment by email on Thursday morning.

The company also highlighted that it wasn’t asking for complete relief from its COLR obligations, but promised to continue providing the service for customers “who currently lack an alternative” to AT&T basic voice service. AT&T California called the proposal “the best of all worlds.”

But many don’t see it this way, with residents quoted by Wired asking the company not to drop them, as they can only rely on landline service to call for help in case of an emergency or don’t trust having a cell service alone.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, has opposed the AT&T request, writing a letter to CPUC President Alice Busching Reynolds on February 14 in which he described allowing the company to partially drop its COLR obligations as having a devastating impact on the elderly and those in rural communities.

“Many elderly residents have commented that their landline is still their preferred method of communication,” Schiff wrote. “In cases of medical emergencies, landlines are still associated with addresses, making it easier for first responders to arrive at the correct address. California residents should have variety and choice in their preferred communications, especially our elderly residents,” he added.

“Californians must have reliable access to communication services, especially during emergencies. We believe no resident of California should be left behind when it comes to safety and connectivity, which landlines still provide for so many in our state. We hope these points are taken into consideration as the CPUC considers the AT&T application,” Schiff wrote.

Schiff added that in times of emergencies—like in case of wildfires or other extreme weather events—having a landline can be of utmost importance for affected California residents.

Newsweek contacted Schiff’s office in Washington, D.C., for comment by phone on Thursday morning outside of standard working hours.

Earlier this month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held the first of a series of public hearings to decide on AT&T’s application, with a final answer expected to be given to the company in September.