THANK YOU, AARP E-Activists, for Helping Us Keep Landline Service in California

A MESSAGE TO AARP E-ACTIVISTS:

In March, we told you about AT&T’s request to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for permission to stop providing landline phone service to Californians.

We asked you to RAISE YOUR VOICE and tell the CPUC to REJECT AT&T’s request, and YOU RESPONDED, flooding the Commission with messages on its public comment page.

YOUR VOICE WAS HEARD: The CPUC voted unanimously to KEEP LANDLINE PHONES, rejecting AT&T’s request to cut off millions of Californians from their landline service.

AT&T didn’t like that decision, so they tried a back-door tactic by appealing to the state legislature. Assembly Bill 2797 would not only have overturned the CPUC decision to protect landline phone service, it would also have created an unaccountable process by which AT&T and all other telecom providers could avoid legal obligations to provide landline phone services in the future.

We reached out to you AGAIN to stop AT&T’s cynical attempt to circumvent the CPUC – and you responded AGAIN -- by sending thousands of messages to your state legislators urging them to reject AT&T’s attempt to avoid its obligations.

Because of messages from AARP advocates like you, WE HAVE NOW WON TWICE and saved landline phone service in California! This is a BIG win for the 580,000 Californians who rely on landline phone service for emergency services and a connection to their family, friends, and healthcare providers.

I want to THANK YOU AGAIN for raising your voice to ensure that all Californians have access to reliable communications services to protect the health and safety of them and their families!

Gratefully,
Nancy McPherson
State Director