AT&T sues California in attempt to shut off old phone network
AT&T asks a court and the FCC to block California phone requirements.
AT&T sued California yesterday over the state's refusal to let the carrier stop providing phone service to all potential customers in its wireline network territory. AT&T is also asking the Federal Communications Commission to declare that California cannot enforce its rules and to let AT&T stop providing service to about 199,000 phone customers.
"California requires AT&T to spend $1 billion each year to maintain a century-old telephone network that almost no one uses," AT&T said in a lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Southern District of California. "The copper wires that once served every home now serve just three percent of households in AT&T’s California territory, with consumers fleeing every day to modern broadband services that are more affordable, reliable, and energy-efficient."
In June 2024, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rejected AT&T’s request to eliminate the Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligation that requires it to provide landline telephone service to any potential customer in its service territory. AT&T has said it's received relief from COLR obligations in 20 of the 21 states in its wireline service territory, all except California.
This story was first published by Ars Technica. Read the original report