Weeks-Long AT&T Outage in Shelter Valley, Near Julian, Raises Safety Concerns for Rural Residents
Source: CBS 8 |By Brian White
The outage was caused by storm damage in February, when high winds knocked out key infrastructure. According to AT&T, two critical relay towers were severely damaged. While some areas in Julian have seen service restored, more remote communities like Shelter Valley and Butterfield continue to face prolonged disruptions. For residents, the lack of reliable communication is more than an inconvenience; it’s a serious safety concern.
TURN is advocating for stricter repair timelines and penalties, while warning that AT&T is pushing to loosen those requirements. “TURN is filing comments and fighting for rules for AT&T and other companies to have faster response time when the service goes out and put teeth in those so they would have to pay bigger fines," Toney said. "That’s what motivates a big company like AT&T. You['ve] got to hit them in the pocketbook or else they have no motivation.”
