Vart Mosikian spends a lot of time these days in her childhood home in Montebello. Her elderly mother is sick. But Vart can’t be there all the time, so the home’s landline is crucial.
“For me to know that my mom or the caregiver can’t pick up the phone and call 911 is stressful,” said Mosikian.
But that’s what happened. Mosikian said her mother’s AT&T landline went out last August. She said she repeatedly called the company to fix it.
“This went on and on. I kept calling back [to tell them] it’s not fixed, and [they’d say] it’s going to be fixed by tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.,” she said.
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But, it never was.
“It was just a nightmare. And frustrating,” said Mosikian.
So Mosikian reached out to the I-Team for help. We contacted AT&T, and it fixed the landline the next day. But Mosikian’s not confident the service will last.
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As the I-Team first reported last fall, AT&T wants permission from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to pivot away from offering traditional landline service, a move that could impact nearly 500,000 AT&T customers. And Mosikian’s mother’s house would be among those impacted.
“There’s a lot of bad things that can come from it,” she said.
AT&T’s proposed plans would impact Cheryl Robles, too.
She reached out to the I-Team last summer when her AT&T landline bill skyrocketed to $1,200 a month. She was shocked by what she says an AT&T representative told her.
“They were no longer going to support landlines. Or they didn’t want to support landlines. And that’s why the price increased,” she said.
AT&T denies that. It also said her high bill was due to an internal billing system error, and it credited her account.
AT&T told the I-Team it will not cancel landline service in California. Instead, it said its application is the “first step in a multi-year process.” It wants the CPUC to “update decades-old regulations” and allow AT&T to “modernize its network with more advanced technologies, like fiber and wireless.”
But AT&T’s proposal concerns Ana Maria Johnson with the Public Advocates Office at the CPUC. She’s urging the state agency to reject AT&T’s application.
“Californians across the state rely on these phone lines to make sure they’re able to dial 911, receive alerts. So these communication lines are essential and a lifeline for many,” she said.
As for Mosikian’s situation, AT&T said a third party contractor cut a cable, and the fix required several dig attempts and troubleshooting, which resulted in delays.
Mosikian’s just relieved this is all behind her.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, NBC. I mean honestly, if I didn’t call NBC, I know my mom’s phone wouldn’t be working,” she said.
What you should know about AT&T's proposed plans:
- See if your home would be impacted by AT&T’s proposed plans on this map.
- The Public Utilities Commission is hosting a virtual public forum on March 19th where you can share your opinions.
