Source: The Sacramento Bee | By Mark Toney and Kat Taylor

Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations are legal requirements that ensure every household and business has access to basic telephone service, regardless of location remoteness, unprofitability or access challenges.

Source: CBS News Bay Area | By Sooji Nam

"It wants to be able to turn out the lights and walk away from serving areas that it thinks that are not as profitable as others," Regina Costa, the telecommunications policy director of The Utility Reform Network, told CBS News Bay Area. "In a major power outage that happens during a disaster like an earthquake or when the power's shut off during the fire, those lines continue to work. They do not need electricity from PG&E in order to keep functioning."

AT&T is pushing to get rid of its legacy copper landline services and instead replace them with advanced fiber optic networks. But not everyone is on board with getting rid of their landline. Utility watchdog groups say, however, the bill would impact about 1.5 million Californians who rely on copper services, especially when cell service is down.

Source: The Mercury News/Bay Area News Group | By Ethan Baron

“Right now we have 5% of Californians still using their copper lines,” said Southern California Assembly Member Tina McKinnor, the bill’s author. “Most of that is an older population. When we no longer have them with us, like my parents, we probably won’t be 5%.” “It most definitely is an end run around the PUC,” said Regina Costa, telecom policy director at The Utility Reform Network, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy group opposed to the bill. For customers in purportedly well-served areas who lose landlines and can’t secure an alternative, the Public Utilities Commission would have to confirm the absence of options. “There is no way that people will understand what’s going on,” Costa said, “and there’s no way that the commission has the resources to go out and verify throughout the entire state where there are verified alternative services.”

Assembly Bill 470 would allow the company, which provides the vast majority of the state’s landline service, to drop most of those customers, including nearly all of the hundreds of thousands in the Bay Area and millions around the state. It easily passed a floor vote in the Assembly in late June, and is now before the state Senate’s appropriations committee.

Source: Broadband Breakfast | By Jennifer Michel

Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, said AB 470 would allow providers to “pick and choose which neighborhoods they serve,” eliminating long-standing requirements for universal phone access.

Assembly Bill 470, which advanced in the state legislature Thursday after a contentious July 15 hearing, would allow providers like AT&T to withdraw from their Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) obligations in areas deemed to be “well-served” by multiple, competing service providers. At the hearing before California’s Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, proponents described AB 470 a long-overdue step to modernize California’s communications infrastructure. Critics, meanwhile, warned the bill could strand rural communities without a dependable fallback for emergency calls, repairs, or basic voice service.

Source: Communications Daily | By Gabriella Novello

"Without COLR obligations, telephone companies can pick and choose which neighborhoods they serve with copper, VoIP or fiber," said TURN Executive Director Mark Toney.

AT&T called on California lawmakers Tuesday to grant it and other carriers relief from carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations. Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and The Utility Reform Network (TURN) urged the committee to maintain its nearly 30-year-old rules.

Source: KFIAM | By iHeartRadio

However, digital equity advocates and emergency responders express concerns over the potential impact on public safety. Landlines are seen as crucial during emergencies, such as wildfires or earthquakes, because they carry their own electrical charge and remain operational during power outages. Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) emphasized that the bill is about ensuring reliable telecom service for every Californian, regardless of technology.

A new bill in California could allow AT&T to phase out landline services, affecting hundreds of thousands of households. Assembly Bill 470 proposes to relieve AT&T of its legal obligation as a carrier of last resort, which requires the company to provide landline services to anyone who requests them. The bill aims to transition from copper landlines to more modern communication technologies, such as fiber optics and voice-over internet protocol (VoIP). AT&T argues that the transition will modernize the state's telecommunications infrastructure and improve reliability. According to LAist, Susan Santana, president of AT&T California, stated, "We’re committed to working with state leaders and community members on policies that create a thoughtful transition to bring more reliable, modern communications to all Californians."

Source: LAist | By Nereida Moreno

“ The bill is not just about copper landlines,” said Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network or TURN, an advocacy group that has helped organize residents around the landline issue. “It's about the mandate… to make sure that every single customer in California has reliable telecom service and it doesn't matter what the technology is.”

Hundreds of thousands of California households could lose their landline service under a new state bill that would allow AT&T to be relieved of its legal obligation to be a carrier of last resort. That requires the telecom giant to offer landlines to anyone who wants one. AT&T says the bill would ensure the company’s transition from “antiquated” copper landlines to a more modern network in phases over time. But digital equity advocates say the move would be detrimental for public safety – especially in the case of a wildfire or earthquake.

Source: San Diego Post | By Jacob Shelton

“There are thousands of Californians going through this,” said Regina Costa of the Utility Reform Network. “These women are the canaries in the coal mine.” Some people in their 80s or 90s don’t have someone to back them up or advocate for their rights. No phone service could be the difference between life and death.

In 2024, the L.A. City Council formed a task force with LAPD and the Bureau of Street Lighting. Since then, 82 arrests have been made, and over 2,000 pounds of stolen copper wire has been recovered. Still, repair costs have already surpassed $17 million, and outages continue. Consumer advocates say the problem is compounded by AT&T’s ongoing push to phase out landline services altogether. The company recently tried—and failed—to eliminate its obligation to provide basic phone service statewide. Critics say the company is dragging its feet on repairs to make landlines appear obsolete.

Source: ABC 7 KABC, Los Angeles | By Carlos Granda

"This has been a concerted effort on their part to switch people over to other types of services, but the reality is, those services are not as reliable," said Regina Costa with the The Utility Reform Network (TURN). During the January wildfires, there were some cell phone service issues in the affected areas. Costa worries that without landlines in a future emergency, this could be a major issue. "A big earthquake will knock out power for quite a long time, and as cell towers lose power and more traffic is concentrated over the remaining towers, you can't even use them," Costa said.

After our report, more than a dozen people contacted us, saying it also happened to them. All in the South Los Angeles area. Robbie Brown hasn't had home phone service since September of 2024. She suffered a stroke and is paralyzed on one side, which is why she can't use a cell phone and needs an emergency alert system where all she has to do is press a button in an emergency. The problem? It doesn't work without a landline. Mabel Bush also has a medical alert system. She says AT&T offered an internet-based service, but that also doesn't work. "Fix it so we can be safe," Bush said. The company has said it wants to end some of its landline service across the country, though last year, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to not allow that.

Source: Lake County News | By Lake County News Reports

“It is clear from the polling data that California residents expect their elected representatives to take action now, and pass legislation that will limit utility overspending, trim record-breaking corporate profits, support public financing to reduce long-term costs, and provide short-term ratepayer relief,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network. The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, and EnviroVoters are supporting the Campaign for Affordable Power bill package:
• AB 1167 (Berman, Addis) Prohibits utility misspending of ratepayer dollars.
• AB 1020 (Schiavo): Prevents double-charging and boosts accountability.
• SB 636 (Menjivar): Provides hardship deferments to vulnerable customers.
• SB 330 (Padilla): Promotes alternative financing for transmission to reduce costs.

California utility consumers are demanding lawmakers rein in skyrocketing rates and hold for-profit investor owned utilities accountable, according to new polling data from David Binder Research released by The Utility Reform Network and California Environmental Voters.

• 82% of California voters are concerned about the cost of their monthly electric bill.
• 79% of California voters agree the government should do more to limit price increases.
• 93% of California voters agree utilities should not charge customers for wasteful spending, including lobbying, PR, and marketing campaigns.

Source: Politico| By Tyler Katzenberger and Christine Mui

Whether the law applies in this situation is unclear, said Adria Tinnin, a policy advocate for The Utility Reform Network. But if it did, it would give the Trump administration or another GOP leader in Washington a golden opportunity to go after the Golden State. And that’s well within the realm of possibility, given Republicans’ adversarial relationship with California and ongoing pursuit of mass deportations. “It's a time suck that would further delay the implementation of a really important decision,” Tinnin told Decoded.

Assemblymember Avelino Valencia’s proposal — a priority bill for state Democrats’ Latino Legislative Caucus — would make California the first U.S. state to allow undocumented immigrants and other people without social security numbers to sign up for the state's LifeLine program, which offers low-income households up to $19 off their monthly phone bill. Valencia’s plan would protect undocumented immigrants by barring LifeLine administrators from sharing customers’ personal information with federal immigration authorities absent a warrant.

Source: Los Angeles Times| By Sammy Roth

“The people of California deserve better than to have their money used against them, to pay for utility lobbying,” said Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network, in a news release supporting the bill. The Utility Reform Network, an Oakland-based consumer watchdog group, also supports SB 330 from Sen. Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista). The bill aims to lower the cost of expanding the power grid by testing out public financing for new electric lines — instead of utility shareholder financing, with its guaranteed profit margins.

AB 1167 from Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) offers a good starting point for lawmakers looking to address utility profits. The bill would make it harder for utilities to charge customers for advertising campaigns and other political activities that should be funded by shareholders — an area where PG&E has faced criticism. A similar bill failed to pass last year amid opposition from the utilities.
Utility executives, to their credit, sound open to the concept. But other proposals to limit electric rates — such as requiring utilities to pay for certain grid investments through securitization, which Newsom had hoped to achieve last summer — have faced stiff opposition from utilities, because they would cut into shareholder profits.

Source: GV Wire: Fresno| By Edward Smith

“California utilities are making record-breaking profits while hardworking people across the state struggle with skyrocketing bills,” said Mark Toney, executive director at The Utility Reform Network. “The people of California deserve better than to have their money used against them, to pay for utility lobbying and promotional advertising. It is time legislators take action to hold for-profit utilities accountable.”

Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), introduced Assembly Bill 1167 on Feb. 21. The bill requires utility companies to justify rate increases. It makes “unjust” or “unreasonable” charges unlawful, according to the bill text.

Source: The Cool Down| By Amy Bolyington

"Regulators need to shield residential and small business customers from shouldering the brunt of these new data center costs," Sylvie Ashford, an energy and policy analyst at The Utility Reform Network, told CalMatters.

Data centers and crypto mines demand a lot of energy. A recent report from Energy Futures Group on behalf of Earthjustice revealed how electricity tariffs and contracts for these large facilities can impact the power grid and energy costs. 

Source: USA Today | By Betty Lin-Fisher

"Customers may be losing a choice for reliable service," said Regina Costa, telecommunications policy director for The Utility Reform Network (TURN) in California. Costa, who also chairs the telecommunications committee for the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, said copper wire technology landline service is the most reliable format for calls because the phone lines still work when there is a power outage, earthquake, or other natural disaster.

AT&T plans to eliminate its traditional landline phone service across nearly all U.S. states in its service area by 2029, according to an official announcement. The wireless carrier has said its copper wire infrastructure is antiquated, maintaining it is costly and better service is available through fiber and wireless broadband networks.

Source: San Jose Spotlight | By Brandon Pho

A representative with The Utility Reform Network (TURN), an Oakland-based group that advocates for affordable connectivity, said AT&T retreated and pulled the bill in the face of public scrutiny. “Californians saw through AT&T’s smoke and mirrors,” TURN’s Telecom Policy Director Regina Costa told San José Spotlight. “The bill wasn’t about modernizing AT&T’s network, it was about giving AT&T the power to walk away from providing any kind of service wherever it chose.”

A state bill that would have let AT&T off the hook for emergency landline service — circumventing state regulators and affecting remote pockets of Santa Clara County — is on hold after public backlash. Assembly Bill 2797 has been pulled from the California Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee meeting slated for Tuesday. It comes after the bill — originally about horse racing — was gutted and amended to give telecommunications companies another way out of their “carrier of last resort” duty if they submit a notice showing a lack of customers or that alternative services are available. Critics said AT&T is behind the bill, which Assemblymember Tina McKinnor introduced just before state utility regulators denied AT&T’s request to withdraw from its state obligation.

Source: KTVU Fox 2 | By Ann Rubin

Right now, AT&T is what's called a carrier of last resort. It's required by law to offer landline service to anyone in California who wants it. But that could soon change thanks to proposed legislation. AB 2797 would make it easier for AT&T to pull out of certain areas. "If this passes, they are not obliged to provide service, which means they can pull completely out of serving an area. They can decide they don't want to serve certain neighborhoods. They can decline service to customers, refuse to repair their phone lines," says Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network or TURN.

Politicians and utility advocates are speaking out. They say Californians' right to landlines needs to be protected, and they're concerned proposed legislation puts that right in jeopardy. In this part of Santa Clara County, when there are wildfires or earthquakes, landlines can be lifelines. Mary Picchetti says her neighbors are all scared they could lose theirs.

Source: Bay City News | By Ruth Dusseault

“Copper uses electricity. But when the power goes out, the power is provided from the telephone company by very big generators,” said Regina Costa with The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit watchdog group that advocates for affordable power and phone service. “When an earthquake hits and the power’s out for two or three days, you still have local phone service.”

The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected AT&T’s request to withdraw as a carrier of last resort, or COLR, but it also decided to revisit the rules of determination. Meanwhile, a new bill in the state Legislature would revise the requirements for any company to be designated the COLR. The COLR is a cornerstone of utility regulation. It obligates a carrier to provide basic service to all customers within their territory no matter where they live. It can provide telephone service over any technology, such as copper, fiber, cable, voice over internet protocol (VoIP is a combination of copper and fiber), or wireless cellular. AT&T California has held that designation since 1996. It planted utility poles and strung copper telephone wire throughout the state.

Source: CalMatters | By Khari Johnson

California’s Public Utilities Commission today rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option.

Its 4-0 vote came after a judge determined the application by AT&T California was “fatally flawed.”

Source: SF Chronicle | By Aidin Vaziri

AT&T must continue offering landline telephone service in California, state regulators decided Thursday.