Carriers push to eliminate universal service

[mike123abc]

Verizon, AT&T push to end universal landline service | TelecomEngine.com

Florida, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin already have repealed universal service obligations. No one has been cut off yet, but once almost every state has ended universal service it could mean that some parts of the landline system may shut down.


Years of subtle incremental legal changes have brought the telephone companies within sight of ending universal service, which began in 1913 when AT&T President Theodore Vail promised "one system, one policy, universal service" in return for keeping Ma Bell's monopoly.

Looks like the beginning of the end for traditional land lines. I suspect that in about 5 years most universal service obligations will be eliminated. I do not think that they will cut anyone off since doing so would draw too much bad publicity. But, if you want a land line for a new location outside of a big city you will probably be out of luck. Same if you deactivate service you may never be able to get it back. They will get rid of them by attrition.

 

[Tampa8]

AT&T in Ct. has cut back on line techs and most anything to do with landlines. But they have improved cell coverage in Eastern Ct at least, to where it is very reliable. In places where your house does not have a great signal, the Microcell works great. The problem is during general storms, emergencies, if you lose the internet you lose VOIP, and if you are using a Micrcell you lose the good signal. Add to that towers get overwhelmed and worse may not have back-up power that lasts very long, and without a landline it could be challenging for communications. That was the scenario last year with the huge heavy snowstorm.

 

[goober]

remember that landlines worked during 911..cell service was out weeks

 

[digiblur]

remember that landlines worked during 911..cell service was out weeks

All depends on the scenario. Landline was out for us for weeks for hurricane Gustav, cell phone had a few system busy messages but after a couple of times your call went through even during the middle of the hit.

 

[navychop]

remember that landlines worked during 911..cell service was out weeks

Which is why many emergency services workers, including my wife who runs a library, are required to have the more reliable land lines.

And for those wondering the obvious- no, there will be no emergency issuing of library books. But there will be circumstances in which they take over libraries for shelters, emergency ops centers, or more likely, alternate government offices.

 

[eurosport]

Won't happen here. The landline is not only the telephone, but the ONLY way out here to get decent speed DSL internet.
The only other option, which really doesn't compare, is satellite internet but that's 1: Way too expensive and 2: Crap.

 

[mike123abc]

Won't happen here. The landline is not only the telephone, but the ONLY way out here to get decent speed DSL internet.
The only other option, which really doesn't compare, is satellite internet but that's 1: Way too expensive and 2: Crap.

If you are getting DSL your line is probably safe. You are close enough to a switch to be profitable. It is the lines that go 30 miles out to the middle of no where that they really would like to get rid of.

 

[truckracer]

i am seeing the most distasteful things these days. this is one. how are people in rural areas going to get internet services where there is no cable tv broadband? or cell towers?

America is a big place and i doubt seriously this country will be blanketed completely with wireless broadband.

 

[John Kotches]

truckracer:

I think calling it "distasteful" is quite a stretch. They are certainly within their rights to try to get a nearly 100 year old law off the books. Rural service delivery for everyone is expensive, and that is not going to change any time soon.

Are the very rural locations able to get anything resembling broadband speeds from these landlines? It is possible, but they have to use a device (I think it's called a remote terminal) to deliver DSL long distances from a CO.

 

[mike123abc]

i am seeing the most distasteful things these days. this is one. how are people in rural areas going to get internet services where there is no cable tv broadband? or cell towers?

America is a big place and i doubt seriously this country will be blanketed completely with wireless broadband.

What needs to happen in rural areas is fiber coops. The county I am in is running fiber to all the rural locations. The main city (Wichita Falls) does not have fiber, but ranchers and farmers in the county are getting it now. NTS » Residential Services (Burkburnett town of about 11k people is where it is building out from).

Look at what is happening in North Dakota ND broadband connection covers 10,000 square miles | NewsOK.com

They got together and built out fiber to a 10k square mile area, all rural.

Essentially groups need to come together and build out these networks. The FCC is essentially changing the USF to pay for these projects.

 

[yaz96]

They may remove the service, but they will never remove the fees they currently collect.......

 

[eurosport]

What needs to happen in rural areas is fiber coops. The county I am in is running fiber to all the rural locations. The main city (Wichita Falls) does not have fiber, but ranchers and farmers in the county are getting it now. NTS » Residential Services (Burkburnett town of about 11k people is where it is building out from).

Look at what is happening in North Dakota ND broadband connection covers 10,000 square miles | NewsOK.com

They got together and built out fiber to a 10k square mile area, all rural.

Essentially groups need to come together and build out these networks. The FCC is essentially changing the USF to pay for these projects.

I think something similar is happening here. Windstream and a company called "Trawick Telephone Line Construction" are laying a LOT of fiber-optic cable around here & installing new a/c powered switch boxes.

 

[mperdue]

What needs to happen in rural areas is fiber coops. The county I am in is running fiber to all the rural locations. The main city (Wichita Falls) does not have fiber, but ranchers and farmers in the county are getting it now. NTS » Residential Services (Burkburnett town of about 11k people is where it is building out from).

Look at what is happening in North Dakota ND broadband connection covers 10,000 square miles | NewsOK.com

They got together and built out fiber to a 10k square mile area, all rural.

Essentially groups need to come together and build out these networks. The FCC is essentially changing the USF to pay for these projects.

Our local electric/phone coop installed fibre in our area last year. It beat the hell out of DSL.

 

[Jimbo]

truckracer:

I think calling it "distasteful" is quite a stretch. They are certainly within their rights to try to get a nearly 100 year old law off the books. Rural service delivery for everyone is expensive, and that is not going to change any time soon.

Are the very rural locations able to get anything resembling broadband speeds from these landlines? It is possible, but they have to use a device (I think it's called a remote terminal) to deliver DSL long distances from a CO.

Basic DSL goes about 4 miles at most from the CO.

I can see AT&T trying to push most to the Uverse DSL, which currently runs from your VRAD box in your neighborhood, pushing it out currently up to 5000 ft from there.
Farther than that, your still out of luck, but they are developing the ability to go farther out yet.