AT&T disconnecting POTS in 20 states

[Owain]

Not sure if this has been announced before or if this is the correct place to post it, but

AT&T has got permission to discontinue landline services in nearly
all of the 21 US States where it provides the service. After July 1st,
it only needs to give 60 days notice of termination of customers'
landlines. It's losing 5000 customers per week in one state alone,
and doesn't want to continue running the service.

Calafornia is the only State which has refused to allow it to close
down its landline services.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-att-landline-phone-service-0507-biz-20170503-story.html

(posted by Andrew Gabriel in news:uk.telecom)

[poplar1]

from the article:

.....

"We're going to aggressively market to those customers and inform them of the new modern technology alternatives ... we want to retain each and every customer," La Schiazza said.
They may have a hard time selling that to Katherine Panny, a retired secretary in her early 80s who lives in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's Far Southwest Side. Panny has no internet, no computer and no cable service. She also has no intention of giving up her landline telephone service.
"I still have my old rotary wall phone, and I'm not about to get anything new," Panny said. "This phone has been the most dependable phone in the world."
Panny believes AT&T has an obligation to keep the service going — at least as long as she and fellow holdouts remain customers in good standing.
"We have been their main base customers for many years," Panny said. "Not everybody can afford everything they want to push."

.....
La Schiazza said AT&T invests $1 billion annually in its Illinois technology but has to divert 20 to 30 percent of that to maintaining its voice-only network.
"In some cases, we have to go to eBay to buy the parts," La Schiazza said. "We just can't get the parts in some cases to keep these switches running."

[Slal]

Interesting.

In Texas, they might be going with attrition model.

Elderly friend of my Mom's had his POTS go out & adult son said they refused to repair it or even send anyone out.

Dismissed it as son not knowing how to be a pest.

Then it happened to my 85 year old "Mum."  2 Hours talking to 'support' reps wanting to sell me TV & Internet.

"You are going to lose *all* our business unless you stop trying to sell me additional product, and get someone out here to look at land line.  That's a requirement-- not an option for 85 year old with health issues."

4 techs had no clue.  Finally sent a guy based in Austin TX to our subdivision outside San Antonio.  He referred to himself as 'their troubleshooter.'

His take from what I can remember.

"You had enough spares in your pedestal-- the green thing in your yard-- for me to fix it, but if those run out that's it.  Phone company isn't going to dig up the street and replace all that cable.  Would cost too much." 

By spares, he was talking about twisted pair in the ground that go from 'pedestal' to the box on side of house?   Tech was very nice, but much of what he said went over my head.  ; )

[Babybearjs]

Ma Bell giving up.... wow, And I thought AT&T would never die.... now what are they going to do??

[Pourme]

Ma Bell giving up.... wow, And I thought AT&T would never die.... now what are they going to do??

I pay AT&T a tidy sum every month for my 2 iphone access....

They will survive...

[poplar1]

"You had enough spares in your pedestal-- the green thing in your yard-- for me to fix it, but if those run out that's it.  Phone company isn't going to dig up the street and replace all that cable.  Would cost too much." 

By spares, he was talking about twisted pair in the ground that go from 'pedestal' to the box on side of house?

The wire from the pedestal to the interface on the side of the house is probably 2 pairs.  He was no doubt talking about the buried cable that feeds all the pedestals on that street. No doubt, there are some good spares -- for now -- because of all the disconnected lines.

That distributing cable is called "aerial" or F2 even if it's buried.

[AL_as_needed]

from the article:
"In some cases, we have to go to eBay to buy the parts," La Schiazza said. "We just can't get the parts in some cases to keep these switches running."

...Oh come on, this is what we do all the time....big babies... 

[Owain]

...Oh come on, this is what we do all the time....big babies... 

At least if AT&T stop buying up spares on Ebay they'll be cheaper for everyone else.

[twocvbloke]

At least you have the option of fibreoptics, over here in the UK, BT haven't even started mass rollouts of the stuff yet, so we have no choice but to keep the copper (and in some places, aluminium!) going, they're even starting G.Fast broadband services to keep utilising the wires while they drag their heels with fibreoptics...

[rtp129495]

Terrific!!!!!! (not really) I like regular phone service and being able to still hear some of the "older" announcements...

I'm getting old!!! Cellphones have taken over!!! At least I'm in California, maybe I'll get to be in one of the last states to enjoy it!

[trainman]

that sucks. ATT can kiss my @#$.

[19and41]

I realize it doesn't benefit us, but AT&T has always used a system as modern as can be had to provide their services.  That's now fiber optic transmission.  It looks like regardless of who connects us, we will eventually have to provide an interface for our slightly sub-state of the art equipment.  They need to change to provide the service at all.  We need to change some things with it.  They aren't in business for old times' sake, we are.

[Pourme]

All this talk makes me think. I'm using a 616 & a 308 linked together. Maybe I will start looking for a couple 616's at a "bargain" on EBAY in case the ones I currently use don't last as long as I do. If I don't I may get stuck in a situation where I need one NOW. One day there may not be any to be found.

Just thinking out loud.....

Benny

[19and41]

If the units age as radios do, the first items affected would be the backup batteries and electrolytic capacitors.  They seem to have the most finite service life of most of the components and they keep on the road to failure whether powered on or off.