- AT&T says only 3% of current California households still use copper landlines
- The communications giant estimates the cost of maintaining a service of this type at approximately one billion dollars.
- California is one of 21 states currently opposing AT&T’s retirement of fixed copper lines, setting up a potential future legal battle between the state and the federal government over authority.
AT&T has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, asking the FCC to end state-sanctioned regulations requiring it to offer Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) services in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
The lawsuit names both the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the state’s attorney general as defendants, even as it asks the FCC for permission to discontinue traditional telephone service in areas where better service options are available.
The telecommunications provider is also seeking exemption from state regulations, which it claims are superseded by federal regulations.
A complex issue, driven by profitability, reliability and ecological concerns.
AT&T has noted that not only does it cost more than $1 billion to maintain copper-based infrastructure in its current form while it only serves 3% of its user base, but it is also prone to theft, especially given rising global copper prices, making it a relatively easy target for thieves.
He also noted that California is now the only state with regulatory hurdles preventing AT&T from phasing out its copper-based service, even as it claims that up to 80% of adults nationwide use wireless phone service as their only means of making calls, and most of those who don’t take advantage of IP-based phone services.
AT&T’s multi-pronged attack on California also highlighted the ecological benefits of such a move, claiming that a move away from copper could save approximately 300 million kilowatt-hours annually by 2030, equivalent to eliminating emissions from 17 million gallons of gasoline.
No fiber plans for everyone yet as AT&T eyes wireless to close some of the gap
AT&T, for its part, does not want to replace all of its copper installations with fiber at the moment. It aims to drive a “wireless-first” approach in certain areas where it believes wireless connectivity is sufficient to replace existing copper-based infrastructure.
He stated in his lawsuit: “AT&T cannot invest all of its resources into modernizing its network while continuing to devote enormous sums of money to keeping POTS alive. Because it makes no sense to maintain a ubiquitous and expensive legacy network that consumers have largely abandoned, AT&T has sought to transition customers to IP-based services across its nationwide footprint.”
The CPUC’s stance on the matter is also clear: It states that it has no specific rules regarding the retirement of copper facilities, but is instead willing to consider upgrades to fiber or “other facilities” with a focus on reliability.
With 40,000 Lifeline subscribers in California, thanks to a process that AT&T claims the FFC calls “protection” that allowed it to stop accepting new customers for the service, there are still a considerable number of other customers affected; AT&T’s requests to the FCC indicate that it requested permission to interrupt service to 184,000 residential and 15,000 commercial customers in the state.
Since landlines often continue to function even during wildfires, power outages, and cell tower failures, the state of California could argue that its approach is technologically neutral and that AT&T must offer reliable coverage throughout the state, especially to rural or underserved communities, which are expected to be the most affected by any such measure.
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