Supervisor Sue Hoek is working hard to save landline telephone service in Nevada County.
AT&T wants to phase out copper-based landline service and says existing customers can be served by either cell phones or phone service over the Internet. But Hoek and other rural elected officials say those options won’t work in many parts of the state where cell and Internet service is limited.
“The issue of maintaining access to our landlines is important to me because I know how many in our community rely on their landlines in emergency situations or for use of medical devices,” Hoek said.
She is urging residents concerned about the issue to voice their opinions at the California Public Utilities Commission online public participating hearings May 5 and May 13.
On April 4, Hoek joined supervisors from Inyo, San Mateo and Lake counties in attending a California Public Utilities Commission workshop in Middletown on proposed changes that would allow AT&T to leave its designation as a “carrier of last resort” (COLR) with a legal obligation to provide basic telephone service. While Hoek and other rural representatives would like to transition to more modern technology, the infrastructure isn’t currently in place.
Hoek is also one of seven county supervisors statewide serving on the Rural County Representatives of California Carrier of Last Resort Ad Hoc Working Group. Last month, she and the group participated in a tour of the AT&T Central Office in Sacramento and learned about current copper-based service and fiber infrastructure. “While the tour was interesting, I remain committed to advocating for access to our reliable copper-based telephone service,” she said.
Finally, Hoek was a leader in Nevada County Board of Supervisors’ decision to send a letter March 31 opposing Assembly Bill 470, which would allow a carrier of last resort to abandon responsibilities and phase out reliable and affordable access to basic telephone service.