Fortuna City Hall
621 11th Street
Fortuna, CA 95540
(707) 725-7600
1 City of Fortuna
www.friendlyfortuna.com
February 20, 2024
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
RE: OPPOSITION to: AT&T California Application for Relief of Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) Obligations
Dear CPUC President Busching Reynolds, and Commissioners Shiroma, Houck, Reynolds, and Douglas:
On behalf of the Fortuna City Council, I am writing to request that the CPUC reject AT&T’s application for relief of COLR obligations.
As a “Carrier of Last Resort,” AT&T must provide landline "Plain Old Telephone Service" or (POTS) upon request to all residential and business customers within its service territory. Carriers (such as AT&T) can opt out of COLR responsibilities when another COLR is providing service and assumes COLR service responsibilities. AT&T's application, however, requests COLR relief for over 99% of their service territory where AT&T determines an alternative voice provider exists but it does not require a replacement COLR.
AT&T's Application also requests expedited approval for future COLR relief through a CPUC Tier 1 Advice Letter process, which does not require CPUC approval. If approved by the CPUC, AT&T could cancel service to its POTS customers as early as six months after approval.
Rural customers have few market options to choose quality, affordable telecommunications services to suit the unique needs of our communities. Much of the rural community is still underrepresented and underserved lacking universal access to reliable, secure and open networks. Customers and first responders need reliable access to 9-1-1 and 2-1-1 service, including the ability to receive alerts and notifications during times of emergency, natural, disaster, or power outage, POTS is the most reliable communications tool in the safety net arsenal. COLR relief should not be granted without securing widespread alternatives with uniform, technologically neutral minimum service quality standards.
The Fortuna City Council respectfully and adamantly implores the CPUC to reject AT&T California’s application.
Sincerely,
Mayor, Tami Trent
Fortuna City Council