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San Mateo County officials praised the proposed decision issued Friday by a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) administrative law judge to reject an AT&T proposal that that judge said could threaten vulnerable residents during wildfires. forestry and other emergencies.
?I am pleased that the Administrative Law Judge of the California Public Utilities Commission has rejected AT&T's dangerous request to be relieved of its obligation to provide basic network telephone service to any customer who requests it because there is no other company willing to "provide that service to everyone?" said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, who has led the county's efforts to fight AT&T's bid.
Mueller said he will continue to advocate for the ability of all San Mateo County residents to choose landline service so they can communicate when cell service is unavailable, unreliable or not working, especially in emergencies.
Likewise, he said he has faith and hope that the California Public Service Commission will see the issue in the same way and adopt the decision proposed by its judge.
“We thank our county professional team, federal and state legislative delegations for their support on this matter, and especially Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, who has worked with my office and other counties on multiple fronts to address this issue,” he stressed. .
Eshoo applauded the California Public Utilities Commission's decision to deny AT&T California's request to stop fulfilling its obligations as a provider of last resort.
?Many of my constituents live in remote and hard-to-reach areas, where cell service and Internet access are spotty, unreliable, and in some cases, completely unavailable. Many others are seniors and retirees living on fixed incomes. They depend on their landline service for all their communications. Maintaining provider of last resort status ensures that all Californians have access to reliable, affordable communications no matter where they live. "Is this decision a victory for them?" he pointed out.
In March, San Mateo County supervisors voted 5-0 to oppose AT&T's request to withdraw as a "carrier of last resort," requiring it to provide access to basic telephone service to anyone in its service territory who request it.
At that time, Mueller traveled to Indio (Riverside County) to speak before the CPUC and its Administrative Law Judge in opposition to AT&T's request.
If AT&T is relieved of its carrier-of-last-resort obligations, residents could lose free access to 911 and telephone relay service (for the speech- or hearing-impaired), according to the resolution approved by the supervisors.
AT&T's request to cancel landline service covers nearly all of San Mateo County, according to a map posted on the CPUC website.
In a proposed decision issued Friday, a CPUC administrative law judge appeared to agree and suggested considering that ?AT&T did not meet the requirements for removal (from the carrier of last resort). Specifically, did it fail to demonstrate the availability of replacement providers willing and able to serve?, according to a summary of the proposed decision.
The CPUC will consider whether to accept the administrative law judge's proposed decision at its June 20, 2024 meeting.
It should be noted that the public can follow commenting on the topic.
The CPUC received more than 5,000 public comments and held virtual public forums across the state, which attracted more than 5,800 attendees.
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