California Bill Would Let AT&T Hang up on DSL Users For some time AT&T and Verizon have been going state by state, trying to sell regulators on the idea of letting them simply walk away from DSL and phone networks they refuse to upgrade. Both companies would prefer to focus on more profitable wireless; the biggest problem being these fixed-line networks were paid for by a generation of subsidies, and there's more than a few people that are still happily using them.

In California, AT&T has been pushing a bill (AB 2395, hat tip Stop the Cap ) that would let the company walk away from its fixed-line networks without repercussion. And state legislators don't appear to be taking consumer advocate warnings particularly seriously. “We have a very, very good perspective on history in this committee and you can rest assured that nobody will tear up any copper line infrastructure,” said Los Angeles committee chairman Mike Gatto at a recent hearing on AT&T's ghost-written measure. But Gatto's confidence wavered as he continued, and his comments indicate he's not quite the student of history he professes to be. “The cost of it, to tear up every street in the United States and take out the copper is not going to happen," said Gatto. "At least, I don’t think it’ll happen�. This committee will not let it happen.” Except should California legislature pass AT&T's current bill as written, that's exactly what will happen. Copper won't be yanked out of the streets, AT&T will simply do what it and Verizon are doing in other states: simply neglecting the fixed-line infrastructure until it falls apart and annoyed customers are forced to leave to more expensive services. Both companies want these users to switch to wireless service, which is not only capped and more expensive than DSL, but may or may not even actually be available to these users. AT&T's been selling this plan under the "IP transition" moniker, promising that if it's allowed to walk away from its fixed-line obligations, towns and cities will somehow enter a new golden era of communications. While the telcos wait for legislatures to do their bidding, they've simply been trying to drive these users away (either to wireless, or to a cable company who'll then sell them wireless) with a combination of repair apathy and While the telcos wait for legislatures to do their bidding, they've simply been trying to drive these users away (either to wireless, or to a cable company who'll then sell them wireless) with a combination of repair apathy and aggressive price hikes . Another issue that isn't being taken seriously is that as telcos exit markets they refuse to upgrade, it creates a stronger cable monopoly and less competition in these markets -- driving up prices (and lowering service quality) for everyone.







News Jump California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news 5G Doesn't Live Up To Hype, AT&T's 5G Slower Than Its 4G; Cord-Cutting Now In 37% of Broadband Households; + more news FCC Cited False Broadband Data Despite Warnings; ZTE, Huawei Replacement Cost Is $1.87B, But Only $1B Allocated; + more Cogeco Rejects Altice USA's Atlantic Broadband Bid; AT&T Is Astroturfing The FCC In Support Of Trump Attack; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 49 comments

jorcmg

join:2002-10-24

USA 17 recommendations jorcmg Member LOL Haha that politician actually thinks the phone company will tear out the plant...what a bozo. Retire in place or die on the vine is more like it.

DHRacer

Tech Monkey

join:2000-10-10

Lake Arrowhead, CA 14 recommendations DHRacer Member In other words What he said:



"We have a very, very good perspective on history in this committee and you can rest assured that nobody will tear up any copper line infrastructure, said Los Angeles committee chairman Mike Gatto at a recent hearing on AT&T's ghost-written measure. "



What he meant:



We are being paid handsomely by our ATT paymasters to look the other way! Government for sale to the highest bidder!

Flyonthwall

@teksavvy.com 13 recommendations Flyonthwall Anon Capitalism and no Government Oversight Capitalism can work if it's run like a benevolent dictatorship, but what you usually get in the US is more in line with North Korean politics.



The reason why you need regulatory control over private business is when private business runs amok and starts fiddling with the law. If you are in business you should not need to create law, if you do that normally means you are trying to do something that would negatively impact the environment or people, or both. If you aren't trying to do something that has negative drawbacks you would never need regulation. Common sense, right?

Demonfang

join:2011-04-21

Spring Mills, PA 10 recommendations Demonfang Member Wireless is nice, except the price I would happily go LTE only, IF they brought the price down to reality ($10/100GB area). I'm currently stuck with it until I can get my dsl re-established, and while I enjoy the speed over my 3/.75 dsl, I cannot live with the data prices.

ham3843

join:2015-01-15

USA 9 recommendations ham3843 Member Corrupt politicians wrote that bill, it is criminal.... THE BOTTOM LINE FOR AT&T SHOULD BE.....BUILD OUT FTTP THAT IS

AVAILABLE AT ALL HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN PLACE OF THE COPPER

AND THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN AT&T RETIRE THE COPPER PLANT! misterray

join:2016-04-28 8 recommendations misterray Member Talk to your reps!



The current stage of the bill is at the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Call them at 916-319-2081, and it'll take about thirty seconds to voice your opinion; just give them the bill number, and say you oppose it. They'll ask for your name and zip code to log your position - simple as that. If you're in California and oppose this, please speak to your representatives about this. Here's something a friend of mine wrote; » pastebin.com/TRqv1Nac The current stage of the bill is at the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Call them at 916-319-2081, and it'll take about thirty seconds to voice your opinion; just give them the bill number, and say you oppose it. They'll ask for your name and zip code to log your position - simple as that. decifal

join:2007-03-10

Bon Aqua, TN 6 recommendations decifal Member it Network was subsidized by tax revenue, there for if they want to walk away from it, fine, but the network goes up to auction and the money generated goes back to the tax base and someone else takes over the landline service... They should not be allowed to not sell service and hold the "rights" to the network they don't want...

C0deZer0

Oc'D To Rhythm And Police

Premium Member

join:2001-10-03

Tempe, AZ 121.4 9.8

5 recommendations C0deZer0 Premium Member Found the shill



And I'm more than willing to bet that California is one of those states that bans or prohibits municipal or community internet efforts, too.



I can't even begin to fathom the thought process of the dingus that even thought to draft a bill like this. Do we even know what politician was responsible for this even to be discussed in the first place? Only someone getting grossly overpaid by AT&T, or clinically retarded/insane could possibly think this is a good idea. The only one that would benefit from a bill like this, is AT&T.And I'm more than willing to bet that California is one of those states that bans or prohibits municipal or community internet efforts, too.I can't even begin to fathom the thought process of the dingus that even thought to draft a bill like this. Do we even know what politician was responsible for this even to be discussed in the first place? etaadmin

join:2002-01-17

united state 3 recommendations etaadmin Member And all this happen while the global anti-corruption summit www.bbc.com/news/busines ··· 36274302



We don't have to look overseas our government local, state and federal are corrupt to the core... the hypocrisy! We don't have to look overseas our government local, state and federal are corrupt to the core... the hypocrisy!

TIGERON

join:2008-03-11

Boston, MA 2 recommendations TIGERON Member I want AT&T to do this It's the only way to force these cities and towns to either make AT&T sell off their unwanted copper wireline to another provider OR this embolden those cities and towns to unite and build their own municipal fiber.

Dave de wave

@2602:61.x 2 recommendations Dave de wave Anon Lets not forget... Mostly, maintained wired infrastructure does not drop calls which is rather important in a emergency and has excellent full duplex audio fidelity. Wireless has serious connectivity and fidelity issues in that there are times you do not even understand who or what you are talking to which is very unprofessional in a business sense. Wireless is terrible for interviews as people talk over each other. Wireless sucks and is still is an inferior technology in its infancy regardless of all the hype, technology and gadgetry.

karlmarx

join:2006-09-18

Moscow, ID 2 recommendations karlmarx Member Amy Schumer said it best Like Amy Schumer said on BIG DEALS monday with Amy and Kyle, us congressmen and senators influence can be purchased for much cheaper than you'd think. Senators like Ted Cruz can be purchased for as little as $1,000.00, while Marco Rubio can be owned for UNDER $5,000.00 a year. And get this, state level congresscritters and senators are even CHEAPER, as cheap as $200.00 for a CA congressman. grabacon9

join:2013-08-21

Spencer, IN 2 recommendations grabacon9 Member Just sell them off Morons.