530-993-4379
Sierra Booster
  • Home
  • Newspaper
    • Latest News
    • Letters to the Editor >
      • Submit Letter to the Editor
    • Old News Archive
    • Photo Tour
    • Events
    • About Us
    • SUBSCRIBE
  • Advertiser Directory
    • Advertiser Press Releases
    • Website Sponsors
    • Advertiser Area
  • Buy Ads - Services
  • Fishing Report
  • Contact Us
  • Admin Log In

 Legislation Threatens Access toEmergency Services in California’s Rural Counties

5/16/2016

0 Comments

 



SACRAMENTO, CA – May 16, 2016 – The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) has announced opposition to Assembly Bill 2395 (Low), which seeks to establish a process for legacy phone carriers to relinquish their decades-old obligations that guarantee basic telephone service.  To date, 17 of California’s rural counties have joined in this opposition, and urge the Legislature to carefully consider the implications this legislation would have on the safety, affordability, quality, and viability of telecommunications services to rural Californians. 
“As a former County Sheriff with 28-years in law enforcement I know firsthand the importance of landline phone service in California’s rural counties,” said Lee Adams, RCRC Immediate Past Chair and Sierra County Supervisor.  “The deployment and expansion of modern telecommunication networks in rural and remote areas remains a priority for RCRC member counties, however, modern communications systems are either non-existent, unreliable, or cost-prohibitive in rural California.  As a result, traditional landline phone service remains the backbone and most reliable two-way communication mode in many of our rural communities.” 
California currently employs a carefully-crafted scheme to ensure universal access to traditional telephone service at an affordable rate.  This scheme includes critical consumer protections regarding public safety, affordability, quality, and viability of telecommunications services in rural counties.  While RCRC recognizes that this model needs to be reviewed and potentially altered to accommodate for other modes of communication, any alterations must be conducted in a manner that contains fail-safe mechanisms that ensure basic communication tools remain unequivocally viable, and includes an opportunity to ensure more advanced telecommunications infrastructure can continue to replace outdated modes. 
Additionally, while the legislation requires that a legacy phone carrier meet certain thresholds before a relinquishment of their landline obligations, of utmost concern in the relinquishment scenario is that rural communities would be left with little or no opportunity to see an investment in modern, alternative infrastructures – essentially leaving RCRC’s member counties further behind than before.  Additionally, RCRC questions both the viability of replacement, and service quality of replacement, should relinquishment occur. 
For detailed information on AB 2395, including opposition letters from RCRC and its member counties, background information on the legislation, and additional opposition viewpoints, visit RCRC’s AB 2395 Hot Issues webpage, accessed here.  
ABOUT RURAL COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA (RCRC)
The Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a thirty-five member county strong service organization that champions policies on behalf of California’s rural counties.  RCRC is dedicated to representing the collective unique interests of its membership, providing legislative and regulatory representation at the State and Federal levels, and providing responsible services for its members to enhance and protect the quality of life in rural California counties.  To learn more about RCRC, visit rcrcnet.org and follow @RuralCounties on Twitter.

​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    September 2009

    Categories

    All
    2015
    Sierra County News

    RSS Feed

    Vie
    ​w Old News

CONTACT US:

Sierra Booster Newspaper
PO Box 8
Loyalton, CA 96118
Phone: 530-993-4379
Fax: 844-272-8583
Email: jbuck@psln.com

Website Privacy Policy​
Picture
Local Weather
©Copyright Sierra Booster - Sierra County News - Editorial
Website by Chamber Nation