To the editor: I used to dwell in a rural a part of San Luis Obispo County the place cellphone service was spotty, however I had a landline that was dependable and all the time accessible in energy outages (“They depend on landlines for emergencies. AT&T’s political strikes in California might take these away,” Nov. 13). After I bought my home, the landline was discontinued. I used to be unable to get a landline at my new residence and I used to be so sorry to lose that service. It’s the solely factor that works in an emergency.
About six months in the past, a buddy of mine and I have been touring again from L.A. by means of the Palisades space on our means house to San Luis Obispo. Each of our cellphones all of a sudden misplaced all service. We stopped in Ventura and located that individuals there have been going to Starbucks to make use of its Wi-Fi in hopes that that might work. We have been doing the identical factor. No one knew what was occurring.
We didn’t get cell service again till we obtained into Santa Maria. That was an enormous timeframe with none communication accessible to us.
I’m extraordinarily involved in regards to the concept of dropping actual copper-based landlines. They need to be accessible to all residents who need them, no matter the place you reside. And the cash must be there to offer that.
I’m pleased to listen to persons are attempting to maintain this service accessible. I hope that our legislators stand as much as AT&T, since plainly firms solely care in regards to the backside line and never the individuals.
Cathy Bezek, San Luis Obispo
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To the editor: Whereas this text appropriately focuses on the wants of rural Californians, I hope protection of this subject expands to incorporate the residents of town of Los Angeles. I’m a 28-year resident of Lake Encino, a neighborhood within the hills south of Ventura Blvd., the place AT&T is the provider of final resort. I nonetheless pay for a landline phone, as I’ve realized that it’s completely obligatory for communications in a fireplace, earthquake or well being emergency.
I’ve tried AT&T’s voice over IP and it doesn’t work in my neighborhood. There are a lot of hilly neighborhoods within the larger L.A. space, and I presume they’ve related circumstances.
I’ve written to the California Public Utilities Fee and my metropolis and state authorities representatives, objecting to AT&T’s petition to desert its copper strains. I encourage different residents to do the identical.
Laurel Wruble, Encino
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To the editor: Rural clients aren’t the one ones who want landlines. I dwell in a neighborhood in Rancho Palos Verdes that has just one highway out and in. Within the occasion of an earthquake, my cellphone received’t present communication with the surface world. My late husband, {an electrical} engineer, cautioned that we must always all the time maintain a landline. Earlier than his dying, he turned a ham radio operator to offer an additional measure of security.
I hope the California Public Utilities Fee rejects AT&T’s request.
Sarah Adams, Rancho Palos Verdes
