THANK YOU FOR ALL THE VALUABLE CALLS INTO THE APRIL 30 CPUC MEETING!
We counted thirty landline-saving testimonies—three in person at the CPUC auditorium, and the rest by telephone from both Northern and Southern California. All comments were informative, conscientious, important, and gratifying to hear!
What has the CPUC been doing recently? Recognized parties to the Carrier of Last Resort Rulemaking Proceeding have been responding formally to a joint proposal from AT&T and CPUC Public Advocates. The EMF Safety Network and many other consumer-advocate organizations (such as TURN, Rural Counties, Center for Accessible Technology and several more) have submitted formal responses saying the proposal is so objectionable in multiple respects that it should be withdrawn. EMF Safety Network's submission is attached below, and begins with a summary of proceedings to date.
📞📞📞ONE MORE CALLING OPPORTUNITY REMAINS BEFORE JUNE CPUC DECISIONS: CPUC MEETING THURSDAY MAY 14
Time is now short! CPUC Rulemaking proceedings begun in 2024 are in final stages, with decisions expected in June.
📢 Thursday morning MAY 14, starting at 11 am in San Francisco, WE HAVE A LAST CHANCE TO CALL COMMISSIONERS. The CPUC welcomes public comment (of up to one minute) by phone or in-person at the start of its regular business meetings.
📞 We encourage you to call in at least 10-15 minutes before 11 a.m. so you get a place "in line" and become one of the first callers to speak after 11:00. (However you may make a comment until the public comment period has ended). In-person comments are taken first, so there may be some wait time.
• English Phone: 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 9899501#
• Spanish Phone: 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 3799627#
Please use your minute to tell the commission how landline loss or degradation would affect (or already has affected) your life or that of family, neighbors, friends. If time permits, you might point out one or more critically-needed revisions to the CPUC Staff Proposal itself. (See SAMPLE COMMENTS below).
Instructions:
• To make a comment by phone, dial 1-800-857-1917 and enter the passcode as indicated above. To make a public comment, unmute your phone, and press *1 (star one) when prompted by the operator. Once you press *1 you will be prompted to state your name and/or organization; please do so slowly and clearly. The operator will call on you when it is your turn to speak.
• Wait times depend on the number of speakers in the public comment queue. During times of high call volumes, wait times may be long.The operator will call on you when it is your turn to speak.
• At the end of the Public Comment Session, the President will ask if there are any additional individuals who wish to speak. Anyone who has already made a public comment may not comment again at the same meeting.
More detailed (but not necessary) instructions here: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/events-and-meetings/cpuc-voting-meeting-04-30-26
REMEMBER that personal voiced comments reach all the commissioners in real time, as well as CPUC staff, others in the auditorium (such as AT&T reps), and everyone tuned in online.
SAMPLE COMMENTS
**Critical consumer protections and safeguards are not yet provided in the CPUC Staff Proposal, such as independent verification of carrier claims, and assurances that essential services are actually provided in practice.
**Of utmost importance, the COLR Staff Proposal omits consideration of already-marginalized EHS/EMR-S Californians who cannot tolerate wireless emissions and must have fully-wired connectivity for both voice and internet. Nowhere in the Proposal is there acknowledgement of these critical needs. No explanation is made of exactly how wireless-dependent technology included in Modernized Essential Services could functionally replace the wireline voice service and DSL internet on which this often low-income population depends. Already, people who experience EMR-S (Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome) confront physical and financial barriers in modifying their environment to adequately protect their health.
**Enforcement actions by the CPUC must be clarified and tightened throughout. The Proposal does not describe specific actions the CPUC will take to enforce requirements when the carrier fails to meet them. Ample evidence exists from Public Participation Hearings and docket comments, that the CPUC has allowed AT&T to neglect infrastructure maintenance, cause landline service to degrade and refuse new connections and modifications to customers.
**Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is NOT functionally equivalent to Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS); VoIP cannot serve as a replacement for traditional wireline voice service. Wireline connection is resilient in emergency conditions and can be life-saving, whereas the limitations of Voice over Internet Protocol can render this technology to be life-threatening.
**Essential voice service must remain available during extended power outages, must reliably support access to 911 and other emergency services and function consistently within indoor environments. The Proposal does not ensure that customers will actually be able to access or operate backup power equipment, for example, or that customers will not face unreasonable costs or other barriers.
Thank you for taking this important action! vs
🚩🚩🚩Note: Last call for written submissions coming soon! You have likely submitted comments to the CPUC docket R24-06-012, and may even have submitted a second time or made a recent submission. New and additional submissions should be made soon. The CPUC will be making its decision about “Changes to the Commission‘s Carrier of Last Resort Rules” and Network Modernization in June! To view all comments or to submit one, go to: https://apps.cpuc.ca.gov/apex/f?p=401:56::::RP,57,RIR:P5_PROCEEDING_SELECT:R2406012
