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Scottsville examines options after municipal phone lines disconnected
Summary
Town staff said the town's Lumen phone lines were disconnected recently; an account representative suggested replacing legacy lines with a single voice-over-Internet protocol solution, but council and staff raised concerns about alarm and pump-station lines and continuity of emergency services.
Staff told council the town's older multi-line telephone service through Lumen was disconnected as the company transitions product offerings and that the town may be able to drop legacy lines without penalty and adopt a voice-over-Internet protocol solution.
"He thinks that we can just drop the phone lines altogether," the administrator said, describing the account manager's suggestion to switch to a single VOIP provider and cut multiple expensive copper lines. Council members and staff cautioned that certain critical lines — the pump station and alarm circuits — are on different carriers (BrightSpeed) and must remain operational, and they discussed costs and the need for at least one reliable incoming line for municipal operations.
Council asked staff to confirm which lines are essential for public safety and to verify whether disconnect or porting fees apply before making changes to service. Members also suggested contacting the state regulatory commission if the carrier's actions appear to be in error.
