Overview
- California and the California Public Utilities Commission filed a formal response to the FCC in mid‑June accusing AT&T of misrepresenting state policy and of seeking fast approval to discontinue service for about 199,000 customers.
- The state says AT&T relies on its LTE-based Phone‑Advanced service as the replacement but has not proven it provides sufficient indoor voice coverage, 911 reliability, assistive-technology support, or price parity with existing wireline service.
- California highlighted that the coverage maps AT&T and the FCC cite show outdoor or approximate coverage only and therefore cannot demonstrate the indoor voice reliability required by the FCC’s Adequate Replacement Test.
- Regulators asked the FCC to reject the discontinuance petitions or remove them from streamlined processing and warned they could sue the agency if it attempts to preempt California’s Carrier of Last Resort rules.
- The dispute follows AT&T’s separate lawsuit seeking preemption and raises broader stakes for roughly 199,000 Californians who could face higher costs, loss of Lifeline or relay support, dependence on customer‑supplied broadband or backup power, and reduced emergency-call reliability if copper service is cut.