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Pet AT&T Law in Michigan Aims to Kill Landlines by 2017

The Lansing State Journal notes that Michigan legislation backed by AT&T would allow phone companies to discontinue landline service -- and the DSL service that runs over it -- with just 90 days' notice beginning in 2017. This is just one of dozens of similar pushes in states around the country as AT&T and Verizon lay the groundwork for hanging up on users they refuse to upgrade to next-gen services and no longer want.

AT&T and Verizon lobbyists are going state to state, selling the gutting of remaining POTS regulation as an amazing, necessary evolutionary step into a modern "all IP age" where somehow more connectivity will flourish. But as we've recently seen with Verizon Sandy victims, terminating POTS and DSL services -- and then just hoping wireless fills in the gaps -- has a decidedly unsexy underbelly:

quote:
(Bill Wayland) wants to keep the landline phone in his Chesterfield Township home. He can’t get service on his cell phone in the workshop in his basement and said he often loses calls when he uses his cell phone in his office. His 21-year-old disabled son doesn't have the fine motor skills to use a cell phone, and his security alarm is wired to his landline.
Yeah too bad, sorry Bill. While it's true that people are walking away from POTS at a quick pace, many aren't. Regardless of AT&T's claims wireless isn't a panacea: caps make it far more expensive and restrictive than DSL, and it won't reach many corners (see above). Worse perhaps is that as AT&T and Verizon pull DSL and POTS from a market, incumbent cable operators will see even less competition than they see now, raising prices for the remaining hostage fixed-line customers accordingly.

It's a complicated conversation that's going to require patience and intelligence. What we're getting instead is AT&T and Verizon bull rushing their own agenda with a lot of false promises, with state lawmakers nodding dumbly because ye olde copper networks are just "so yesterday." You'd be hard pressed to find government officials or regulators anywhere asking what happens to broadband quality and pricing when you decide to completely eliminate one of frequently just two fixed-line options.

Most recommended from 113 comments


Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

5 recommendations

Skippy25

Member

Maybe...

Maybe what needs to be regulated in is the requirement to replace ALL copper with fiber by 2017.

You want to walk away from copper? Sure, replace it with fiber. If not, then keep servicing the copper.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

3 recommendations

elefante72

Member

There is a solution

OK. POTS is a five-nines reliable service, that is awesome. What replaces it is not. Said that. Its also many times more costly than alternatives out there today, and will continue to get worse.

(Bill Wayland) wants to keep the landline phone in his Chesterfield Township home. He can’t get service on his cell phone in the workshop in his basement and said he often loses calls when he uses his cell phone in his office. His 21-year-old disabled son doesn't have the fine motor skills to use a cell phone, and his security alarm is wired to his landline.

1. Buy a DECT phone w/ bluetooth that connects to your cell. That should work all over the place. Keep cell where it works, the rest behaves just like a regular portable phone.
2. Get HSI. You can then use VOIP, or 2 if you need fail over.
3. Disabled - Most of that tech was built for POTS but more are adapting. VOIP ATA adapters work w/ most. MotoX, no hands needed MA. Just ask Mr Google. Tablets, same thing can connect to VOIP services or cell. Many options there today. Teletext still a issue tho... This more than anything needs real solutions.
4 Security Alarm - Mine has been on VOIP for 10+ years. Works like a champ, and every major company has a cellular option.

A lot of this has to do with education, but again as the number of users get smaller, the cost per user will skyrocket and just isn't sustainable so we need to come up with solutions ASAP. POTS/DSL is going away, no question. The question is if we regulate a new industry or not. It can't be one of these ineffective quasi-regulatory things that just make things worse.

Or simply reroute the billions wasted on USF and build out these areas. It's not like there is a lack of $$$ out here to do this.