AT&T wants to ditch Cali copper phone lines to save billions

Networks

Telecoms giant files suit in Golden State so it doesn't have to maintain network it claims is hardly used

AT&T wants to ditch its traditional copper phone line infrastructure in California in favor of fiber everywhere, claiming it has to spend $1 billion each year on a telephone network that a tiny percentage of customers use.

The US telecoms giant announced plans this week to invest $19 billion in The Golden State between now and the end of the decade to bring fiber to more than 4 million additional households and businesses, upgrading customers to the newer infrastructure.

As part of its plans, the telco has filed a lawsuit [PDF] against several state officials seeking a court order to overturn California rules that require AT&T to continue offering a “plain old telephone service” (POTS).

AT&T points out that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently adopted rules that encourage telcos to retire their aging copper lines.

The Washington-based telecoms regulator said the expansion of fiber cabling is hindered by "the need for carriers to divert precious resources to the maintenance of deteriorating legacy networks that deliver outdated services to an ever-decreasing number of subscribers."

In its court filing, AT&T says "the copper wires that once served every home now serve just 3 percent of households in AT&T’s California territory," but complains that state-level "Carrier of Last Resort" (COLR) rules require it to continue supporting and maintaining POTS even after the FCC has authorized the service to be phased out. Under basic pre-emption principles, those COLR rules cannot stand, it asserts.

But while the telco likes to portray this as bringing faster and more reliable modern network technology to all California residents, critics say rushing to phase out the old phone network could leave some users behind.

A nonprofit public interest group, Public Knowledge, previously warned the FCC directive could impact consumers in rural areas, the elderly, those with disabilities, and anyone who relies on specialized medical equipment that uses phone lines.

As The Register has previously covered, the UK’s former state-level operator BT was forced to delay plans to turn off the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and replace it all with all-fiber infrastructure after similar concerns were raised. This followed the introduction of a government charter to protect vulnerable customers, particularly those using TeleCare, which supports alarms that the elderly or infirm can trigger if they need emergency assistance.

AT&T said it will take “a thoughtful, phased approach to upgrade customers,” and claimed “no customer will be left without access to phone or 911 service.”

However, Public Knowledge said the FCC order relaxes or entirely drops various safeguards put in place by previous US administrations, including the requirement to prove through engineering tests that a new service adequately replaces the old for medical equipment and alarm systems.  ®