topic Re: California: Relief for Landlines in Community Chat

California: Relief for Landlines

They CallMe MRWILKES — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 13:08:02 GMT

Yesterday the California Public Utilities Commission officially and finally rejected AT&T's request to drop landline service as a "Carrier of Last Resort." As a designated Carrier of Last Resort, AT&T is required to provide landlines. Therefore, this

service will continue for those who want it within the State.

The Commission says emails and letters from landline users in rural areas with spotty cellular service weighed heavily in the decision, along with thousands who attended Public hearings.

So it pays to contact your State Public Utilities Commission if this becomes an issue in your state.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Sooner — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 12:48:05 GMT

Once a senator from Oklahoma said if he has 50 contacts on something it gets his attention. You are right sir!

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Puzzle Piece — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:24:17 GMT

I have landline and it works out okay for me. I'd miss it if it were gone.

Can't people find other things to do with their time and their whims?

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Shelbelle — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:03:46 GMT

I cant live without my landline. I am not a cell phone lover to say the least

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

kaydee50 — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:25:40 GMT

@They CallMe MRWILKES It has been my experience here in Chicago that AT&T made a true landline, ie, a phone that plugs into a jack so expensive that I grudgingly switched to a VOIP since I don't want to rely solely on a cell phone. Wonder what the cost of keeping a "landline" in CA will be???

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

rockygems123 — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:16:46 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
@They CallMe MRWILKES It has been my experience that AT&T made a true landline, ie, a phone that plugs into a jack so expensive that I grudgingly switched to a VOIP since I don't want to rely solely on a cell phone. Wonder what the cost of keeping a "landline" in CA will be???

@kaydee50

Probably way above the national average like most everything else in California.

I grew up there and was shocked when I saw costs of goods in the rest of the country.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

SharkE — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:19:15 GMT

Be the last place I'd live.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Sutorius — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:46:57 GMT

Wow..no one asked you to play mean girl with the snide remark . I love California and I have no idea why you feel the need to comment. I do not want you to live here in California. Happy you are living your best life where you live...I am doing the same.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Estellee — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 17:07:09 GMT

I have a cell phone but I wouldn't want to be without my landline. Doesn't hurt to have a back up!

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Linmo — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 04:26:01 GMT

We live in CA and have 2 landlines, one for personal and one for business. It is no more expensive than a cell phone. Cell phone service is not reliable in our area due to the landscape so we are happy to have both options.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Jersey Born — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 10:57:19 GMT

@They CallMe MRWILKES -- Yay!!!!! That is a wonderful victory for the people living in California.

Thank you for posting this important news.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

gardenman — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 11:40:57 GMT

The issue with landlines is the cost to the operator. The big cables have lots of little wires inside of them and those little wires all have insulation on them. Most of those big cables are now 40, 50, or more years old and the insulation is failing. When the insulation fails, the service becomes unreliable. You get static, or the phone stops working completely in worst-case scenarios. The only solution is to replace those older fading cables, but the cost is absurd and most providers simply can't afford to replace all of the cables.

To replace the cables in one small town can cost millions and there simply aren't enough subscribers to cover the cost. And just finding cable suppliers is difficult as once the country's phone service was built out, those manufacturing the large phone cables had no more market and moved on to something else. Conventional phone lines also require switching stations that cost money and need nonstop maintenance.

When I worked for Frontier Communications we had customers whose landline phone service was horrible due to failing cables, but they lived in remote areas and it would cost several hundred thousand dollars to get new cables to them. It's just unaffordable to the service providers. If you have to spend two hundred thousand dollars to place a new line that will serve a handful of customers, you'll never make back that investment. And businesses are in business to make money, not lose it.

Landline phones are a dying technology and there's not a lot anyone can do to revive it. Cable phone service, cellular service, and even satellite service, will replace old hard-wired landlines. When those big cables fail, there's just no way to keep the landlines functional.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

They CallMe MRWILKES — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 12:13:48 GMT

Yes, the days of the landline phone are numbered, but this is certainly a period of welcome, if temporary relief for those still reliant on the technology in California, many being elderly.

The Commission reports it received 5,000 emails and letters in opposition to the AT&T request, and 6,000 attended the series of public hearings. Those are a lot of voices being heard.

(I do wonder how some positive news from a regulatory body in California turned into a bashing of the entire state, but that's the Q forum!)

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

candys mine — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 12:33:02 GMT

It does seem that consumers have embraced the move to cell phones.

I am Just wondering... If the cell service is lost due to some sort of natural event like those large fires going on ( may all be safe ) Do the Landlines still function? Are the lines buried underground in rural areas or overhead on telephone poles?

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Teddixat — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 13:47:26 GMT

@gardenman Excellent post and you are spot on. Most companies don't offer real landline services anymore for the reasons in your post. People will just have to adjust

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Teddixat — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 13:48:40 GMT

@SharkE and we're glad you're not here

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

layla2450 — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 15:15:01 GMT

@Teddixat wrote:
@SharkE and we're glad you're not here

GOOD ONE!!! There is ALWAYS someone who loves to diss CA.

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Teddixat — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 15:40:34 GMT

@Sutorius 👏👍

Re: California: Relief for Landlines

Teddixat — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 15:41:33 GMT

@layla24550. And we know who they are!!!