AT&T loses key ruling in bid to stop offering basic phone service in California
California can keep enforcing rules that require AT&T to offer basic phone service to new customers in its wireline territory, following a federal judge's ruling last week. AT&T sued California in May in a bid to end the state's Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules that require it to offer telephone service to any potential customer in its territory. AT&T asked for a preliminary injunction that would prevent California from enforcing the COLR rules while the litigation continues. To win a preliminary injunction, AT&T had to show it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claim that California rules are preempted by a Federal Communications Commission order. US District Judge Linda Lopez denied AT&T's request for a preliminary injunction during a motion hearing on Thursday, according to a docket entry . The case is in US District Court for the Southern District of California. Read full article Comments
California can keep enforcing rules that require AT&T to offer basic phone service to new customers in its wireline territory, following a federal judge's ruling last week.
AT&T sued California in May in a bid to end the state's Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules that require it to offer telephone service to any potential customer in its territory. AT&T asked for a preliminary injunction that would prevent California from enforcing the COLR rules while the litigation continues.
AT&T suffers setback but will keep asking court and FCC to preempt state rules.
AT&T wants to stop offering basic phone service to new customers and discontinue service for 184,000 residential customers and 15,000 business customers on June 1, 2027. AT&T said the injunction it requested would let it stop offering service to new customers immediately, and that it would preserve service for existing customers while litigation continues.
AT&T could appeal Lopez’s ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and could appeal later if it loses the underlying case. But since it has not obtained the injunction it asked for, AT&T for now remains under California’s orders to keep offering phone service to potential customers while the case continues.
