The California Public Utilities Commission is reviewing longstanding rules that require certain telephone companies to serve all customers in their designated areas, a move that has sparked concern among rural residents who say landlines remain their only reliable link to the outside world.
The process, known as Rulemaking 24-06-012, was launched in June 2024 following the CPUC’s unanimous decision to reject AT&T’s request to withdraw from its obligations as a “Carrier of Last Resort” (COLR). These rules, in place since 1996, ensure that at least one company must offer basic phone service in every part of the state—even in remote and unprofitable areas.
The Carrier of Last Resort must provide basic service, but according to the CPUC, basic service doesn’t have to be provided via a traditional copper landline, it can use any type of technology…