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.
While California, New York, and Illinois maintain strict COLR rules, twenty states have dropped landline service.
Michael Matthay, a Mendocino County resident who lives on the edge of the Jackson State Demonstration Forest on the Mendocino Coast, said he received a CPUC notice about the rule-making in March that appeared benign. But he immediately suspected what was at stake.
“AT&T is trying to drop the landlines, and that’s the only communication I have with the outside world—period,” said Matthey, who is in his 80s and shares his property with a legally blind tenant. “He’s been here 15 years, and it’s his only way too.”
In many parts of Mendocino cell service is non-existent. “There’s a whole dead zone between Caspar and Mendocino—there’s just no cell service, period,” Matthay said, citing one example. “So the landlines are really important for emergency vehicles and stuff—if I want to call 911.”
Landlines are also essential for everyday communication with friends and family.
The CPUC’s review aims to modernize the COLR framework, possibly redefining what qualifies as “basic service” and whether alternatives such as mobile phones or VoIP should qualify. The Commission has held across the state to gather public input, with the last hearing scheduled for May 13, 2025 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. This hearing will be virtual.
Matthay is worried that not enough rural residents will make their voices heard. “People need to write letters to the CPUC or submit a comment online and explain how important it is to preserve access to landlines,” he urged.
Letters may be mailed to the CPUC Public Advisor at 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102, or submitted online via the CPUC website.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
In many parts of Mendocino cell service is non-existent and it’s the same with Humboldt County.
Very true Country Joe. I think the basic problem is lack of cell towers in key areas. These towers are needed to fill in the gap areas that are dead to the world. It leaves many people who in an emergency just have no way to connect with 911 services or a close friend. I am hoping in the very near future these towers will be built and put into immediate service. The only other option is a satellite phone. These are fairly expensive and require a monthly service fee (Iam not sure how much) to be paid so the phone stays active 24/7.
Spot on. AT&T tries this tactic every couple of years. The additional cell towers to fill the gaps just aren’t getting built.
I have the new iPhone 16 pro. It comes with the option to use satellite to text when there is no reception. You just hold the phone up and move it till it finds the satellite (it actually shows you which way to turn in order to get it) then you can send and receive texts
There’s a whole area on highway 299, between Willow Creek and the coast where there is no cell signal.
If cell phones were the only option, anyone in that area would be shit out of luck.
I can get cell signal here, in Willow Creek, if I wanted it. The kids have cell phones. But I still pay for my portion of the landline bill. The state pays the rest, under the California Lifeline program.
If I were to switch to a Lifeline cellphone, the state would pay for all of it. But there is a reassurance knowing that 911 operators immediately know my location, should I need to call them.
It’s not the same with cellphones.
For elderly people, landlines are a safety measure. They should not be eliminated unless and until there is universal cell reception and they are tied into 911 so that locations are immediately known by emergency services.
I hope our state representatives are paying attention.
I couldn’t agree more.
Having a phone is a luxury not a right and do you expect the phone co to keep up something that is a loss to them?
“Public Utilities” were never designed to make a profit…originally.
The CoLR receives subsidies and access to public right of ways for towers and such for that very thing, it was part of the benefit of being the designated CoLR. With that came a responsibility. AT&T is now trying to shed their responsibility after receiving and profiting from the benefits stating that a CoLR is no longer needed as there are other options. As many rural people know, that just isn’t the case.
Should ATT prevale, COLR granted right of way agreements should be eliminated. And all the related infrastructure be torn out at ATT’s cost.
With all that gone, so too go the subsidies. Then rates go up to cover those losses.
Yes I do. These robber barrons aren’t losing money they’re just not making enough. Well f–k them. Just like computer operating systems that no longer are supported…they aren’t losing money just not making enough.
Really hoping eradicating ceo’s becomes a new national passtime.
So Zippy, what’s your method of this eradication? Be careful how you word your final solution.
Dealers choice.
A luxury? 3rd world countries have cell service and wifi, 5G etc. Is it a luxury to have a radio? Same type of tech, 100+ yrs old.(i know..radio waves vs line or sat service, but still..)To eliminate this service in remote areas would be tragic, eventually. Can you imagine how many hundreds of millions of dollars phone companies made on long distance and toll calls, let alone basic horseshit service? For $45-50+ per month. Do you work for one of them or get a pension from one??
I would suggest, as a last resort, that AT&T pay for satellite service for all 911 calls made, and for all cellphones have that feature. This may be a way out for their duty to provide emergency services. It would still, however, isolate the individuals into their own world as far as communication with the rest of the world. Not ideal of course.
I’m wondering how accurate it would be to tell the exact location of the emergency call under your proposed system 🤔
The phone system infrastructure was subsidized by the government thus the phone companies must provide a public service, which means “Carrier of Last Resort”.
Not exactly. The PUC allows phones companies to add a surcharge to phone bills for the CoLR funding.
https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/internet-and-phone/california-high-cost-fund-b
It was my understanding, which could be wrong, that the original infrastructure was subsidized by the government for certain considerations/promises of public services. I know that maintenance cost get passed on. A lot of the original infrastructure is still in use by the telecoms. I have heard the linemen bitch about 80 year old copper.
Cell service is just as bad in Lake County…
Where my house is, I get 1 bar and it is usual to drop calls.
Between Clear Lake Oaks and Williams, on the 20, forget about it, but I see some towers and a few pockets of 5G, over in Clear Lake…
In my opinion, it all depends on people paying their bill…
I would never go back to ATT, dropped my landline in 2002.
Just give me the Starlink Cell service please…
Starlink isn’t the only one out there, just the largest. For the moment. Amazon has just started launching their Kuiper satellites so that’ll be coming available. AT$T you can’t pay me to use. Out in the hills I’m backed up to a couple hills and a ravine and have to walk a couple hundred feet to get just one bar, so in a way…I don’t have to worry about being bothered. Silence is golden some days. Frontier or HughesNet are the only other options and Frontier sucks on a good day. I’d have better service with a string and two cups. But as I’ve been told AT&T does a lot of maintenance on Frontier territory and they’ve let it lapse and some locals think that was on purpose so they could make the argument that landline service should be completely killed off……in favor of their own U-Verse service of course.
Landlines by themselves are still necessary where a cable or fiber line is never going to be hung from a pole or tree. If your satellite service goes out due to weather, or you didn’t pay your bill, your landline still works. Well…we hope. Same with cell service, if you can get it and our topography is murder on cell service, with a million deadzones. I’ll have to go look for it but I think I have bookmarks to sites that list known dead zones in areas. I’ll post it if I find it.
Get a Starlink.
Get an Internet phone.
—
Basic Starlink service starts at $80.
Excellent service reliability. Good bandwidth.
Imagine if you are ‘really’ rural, you already have a backup generator or solar power.
—
Rural Copper cabling is gone… kaput… no mas.
Starlink is free with a one year service contract.
https://www.starlink.com/us/residential?referral=RC-1195276-75811-68&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=sls_us_dis_ggl_ptg_imk&utm_content=sls_us_dis_ggl_ptg_imk_res_ctr_v4s_stc_en-us_white-studio-pmo-0&gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIicvFh46ejQMVCpaOCB2SnRcGEAEYASAAEgItSvD_BwE
Yeah I noticed they have a deal on it. As it is I piggyback off a relative who uses a couple range extenders as it’s range at best is about 200′ and I need 400′. But I need the roaming unlimited one, not the home base one and those are still full price, and that $80 deal is the residential lite version, which is fine for most people but my house is full of power users so the video buffering would irritate the monkeys. So’s I deal with what I can get for now. Meanwhile Frontier draws straws to see what days of the week the service actually works.
Excellent idea Bozo. I comment above but forgot about Starlink.
Starlink or any other satelite won’t work if you are under redwood trees and don’t have
a clear view to the sky
Just move out into a small open area and your Starlink or another device should work fine.
Hire a tree climer to put a small platform in the top of a good tree, with the infrastructure to raise/lower by cable. The satellite tracking works even in the wind. I know someone in Salmon Creek basin doing this for the last 18 months. One limitation with SL is the length of an PoE ethernet cable – which is about 150 feet. The more recent SL antennes do not require power, so that may not be an issue, in which case the limit of a **good** ethernet cable – by standard – is 100 meters.
Tompkins Hill Rd is all copper cable with no plans to upgrade it to fiber optic line, so it’s not gone by any means.
Not yet anyway. Vero has been all over Arcata and Eureka laying new fiber lines. Optimum will be a thing of the past in the not too distant future.
We can always hope…
Starlink doesn’t support VOIP at a service level appropriate to voice (don’t even bother about e911 service). If for no other reason than SL’s use of the most basic form of carrier NAT – ergo local compter services which require call back or open ports will not work.
I might consider Starlink, but then I might make its owner cry with a subjectively controversial comment and get bricked.
Musk… gasp! I can’t breathe!
I have Starlink in my new Subaru Crosstrek and like it.
I hear that they are going to ban horse and buggies from the freeway also. Another casualty of modern life.
If you are really, really desperate for phone service Starlink will work for “phone over internet.” And… you won’t have to pay for land-line service.
Remember when Madrone Madrone drove his horse and buggy to Sacramento to protest cars? That was before he got his crop in and bought a brand new Toyota Pick-up truck.
No, not Supervisor Madrone. Madrone Madrone was an Ettersberg hippie that changed hi name to “Madrone” because he liked tree. Some of the first hippies that moved to the north coast made up hippie names because they were hip.
Nobody would accept just “Madrone” because everybody had a first and a last name, so he changed it to “Madrone Madrone”.
You might ask Supervisor Sungnome Madrone what his real name was.
I hope it was a lawful name change in a court of law, otherwise like tens of millions of married women, he won’t be able to vote if he registered as Madrone, but born as ??? Thanks MAGAs
How is Ernie’s conversation related to MAGA’s? Do you blame MAGA’s for all your troubles?
Some people have at least a dozen anonymous BS names should all twelve of them be allowed to vote? Do you really want irresponsible people voting? MAGA my ass. It’s more like common sense.
That is not true. And besides fox “news” got any evidence? And no Joe, I have no troubles. Just thinking of my fellow voters.
How would anyone have any “evidence” on no-identity voting??? I think that is the point. Anonymous is non-traceable. “I want to buy a clue Alex”.
Maxine Watters had a town hall meeting the other night. Everyone had to show proper ID to enter but Watters is against voter ID.
Horses were ridden to the capitol , his chosen name was Mattole Mattole, he recently passed R.I.P.
Thank you for the correction. You are absolutely right! My brain-fog took over.
I was never able to understand why a lot of newcomers adopted hippie names. It made me wonder what was wrong in their past that they wanted to leave behind.
Family is family. Most people are proud of their family name.
Not only phone service.
Police, fire, ambulance, &, repair-services will eventually be ‘updated’ to reflect the additional costs.
Using my “Hobo-Kelly”-magic glasses…I see services to rural areas cut drastically with private subscription services provided by insurance companies taking their place.
Chatgpt highlights some of the policies affecting rural citizens in “Project 2025”:
“Healthcare Access: Proposals to restructure federal healthcare programs could impact rural healthcare facilities, which often rely on government funding.
Economic Development: Changes in federal support for infrastructure and economic initiatives may affect job opportunities and services in rural areas.
Education and Social Services: Adjustments to federal education funding and social service programs could influence resources available to low-income rural residents.”
(https://chatgpt.com/c/6821f6c5-4534-8010-8790-5c7de8de39c1)
As goes the federal / So goes the state, county, & city.
As a refugee from Babylon. I’m very aware that my environment,which is next to the river. With beautiful mountains surrounding me. With wildlife traversing my yard, is a fantasy to people making twenty times what I make a year living in a major city..
The gloves are off the ruling-class.
How long do we have before fresh-water becomes a “National Security” issue, and access is restricted?
Another saddle-burr is that poor people use wood for heat. In some cases they’re “allowed” to glean dead wood from the forest. This is another area where a few, well-placed, governmental policy changes can price the poor out of the mountains.
(https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/strategies.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Unrelated:
Anyone notice that Chatgpt is just what google used to be?
It currently gives us what we ask for.
Whereas google currently gives its advertisers what they ask for?
Enjoy it while you can.
Once the ads land.
It’s over.
Landlines died in sohum many years ago!
They still work. For now anyway. But nobody wants to do the maintenance. There’s nothing stopping people from organizing their own PUC (well…Newsome probably) and creating maintenance and service contracts and budgets to operate as PUCs of old did (Ferndale comes to mind). It’s just that people don’t seem to want to get that organized about any such thing unless it’s making old weed-levels of money. The operational hardware already is in place you’d just have to pry it from the companies still left running them, or poach the employees from it. We are our own saboteurs for some things.
I lived in Miranda years ago and the phone service was just plain crap. Seems like every time I wanted to use the phone someone else was already talking and I had to ask them to cut their call short if I needed to contact someone quickly.
Well yeah….before muli-line or “party” service that’s what everyone had to do, not just in Miranda. Many parents were irritated by their kids spending hours tying up phone lines with their amors.
I think a lot of people used their phone to listen in on what other people were saying. Nosey Nellies!
Well yeah, on a single line house that was an issue unless you had a physical 2nd wire to the house but even then it was easy to snap a phone onto it and listen in on your parents or your little brother.
I know my sisters did…
Myers Flat, on 101 and a stones throw from the fiber optic line, has very poor if any cell service. I have netlink 101 and it’s great but I also retain a landline because outages do occur and 911 is vital.
101 netlink is a great service. You can make cell phone calls over “Cell over internet”.
If 101 Netlink can reach you it is a great option! Dump the land line. They don’t love you, or even want you.
👍
Same here.
911 calls can still be made successfully from a cell phone areas with poor cell phone service…
Success may vary…
It’s worth a try if necessary…
I have done it from Myers Flat areas with some successes…
Gave up landline last year. Had a little separation anxiety but ok now. Landline lost its dependability for me during many power outages here in Kneeland. When power goes out the landline has batteries to keep it going. Good for three days max. Phone company has no backup batteries. Poor maintenance.
Well the issue is that if the power goes out we can still use the phone. Starting up the generator if it’s the middle of the night and trying to get it to go after sitting for months, isn’t always easy pulling on the starter rope. Not everyone that has gone by the way of relying on cell phones might not even have a generator. I don’t like the $100 bill each month but will keep it as long as it’s around and call and write letters to keep it. Lousy cell service in Blocksburg. Can text but can’t get calls.
That’s why I have a Generac. It exercises once a week to maintain the battery and provides electricity on demand. It’s connected to my propane tank.
A tractor supply battery jumper pack works good to power a cell phone during an extended power outage…
Mine has an integrated cell phone charger port…
I keep it next to my bed to charge my phone during extended outages…
But what about my fax machine?!?
Our Fax machine works on 101 netlink on voice-over-IP.
What sort of fax machine works on VOIP?
Or my suction cup modem?
I believe Michael Matthay will figure it out. In Northern Humboldt, Verizon is the top resource for cell phone coverage, especially if one hikes in the forests. I’ve experimented with Satellite phones, but you must have a good opening to the sky for satisfactory service.
You will never take my land line.
No, they won’t take it. But it will stop working and you won’t get a bill at some point soon.
From my cold hands!
They didn’t “take” mine. It just stopped working a couple of times a month, took several calls to get it fixed then a couple of more when the fix didn’t work. And every call was delivered with the warning that I would have to pay for the call if the company determined their equipment was not at fault.
In fact I got my first cell phone (the only one that provides service in our area) in order to have a way of requesting a repair. But it was just too much effort in the end and I gave up my landline.
I’m gonna die with an unregistered gun, a black market joint and a landline. Resist!!!
This just crazy… I was at the Ukiah PUC hearing that resulted in the CPUC rejection of ATT’s bid to drop land line service…
I THOUGHT WE WON (???)… WTF !!!
FRONTIER is just as bad, if not WORSE… I know the local linemen do their best but in many cases the infrastructure is old & needs repairs / replacement…
North of Willits it’s Frontier who provides landline service… they’re company out of Ohio. These landlines were originally ConTel, GTE, Verizon, & then Frontier, so it’s been a profit center for many decades, yet repairs & upgrades to the actual phonelines have not kept up with profits.
Cell service DOES NOT WORK in many places in the mountains of Northern MendoLand, and VOIP also does not work unless you’re financially able to spend big bucks for starlink, which many seniors on social security just can’t afford.
ALL PHONE COMPANIES NEED TO KEEP LANDLINE SERVICE !!!
THERE IS NOT ALTERNATIVE FOR MANY OF US WHO MIGHT NEED TO CALL 911
A landline is our LIFE LINE !!!
The PUC has a terrible track record of ruling in favor of (investor owned) PROFIT making “public utilities” instead of the actual public that the PUC is supposed to serve.
In many states utilities are ‘customer owner’ Co-Op’s, especially electric providers.
WE NEED A DIFFERENT PARADIGM for our utilities & a new watchdog agency, such as a State Inspector General… we just don’t have FAITH anymore that the CPUC will do the right thing for us citizens.
If you are living that far out and are worried about 911 / lifeline etc. ya might want to consider the consequences. Just a thought?