Assembly committee advances bill to phase out copper landlines with CPUC oversight

The Communications and Conveyance Committee of the California State Assembly on Thursday approved AB 470, a bill from Assemblymember Tina McKenner to create a pathway for telecommunication companies to transition customers off legacy copper landlines where modern alternatives exist.

McKenner opened the hearing saying AB 470 would protect public safety while encouraging private investment: “AB 470 puts consumers first by guaranteeing that no household will lose access to telephone service,” she said, and described committee amendments she accepted as author amendments.

Nut graf: The bill establishes criteria under which a carrier could request relief from the carrier-of-last-resort obligation — a statutory duty to serve customers in a provider’s territory — if the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finds an area is “well served.” The committee added a challenge process and a Tier 2 advice-letter step at the CPUC before any carrier relief takes effect; the committee then voted the measure out as…