CPUC presses AT&T to halt T-1 disconnections

California regulators are challenging how AT&T is retiring its legacy business data services, warning that the carrier’s handling of the shift could jeopardize critical infrastructure that public utilities depend on. In a July 14 letter, California Public Utilities Commission President John Reynolds urged AT&T to address a growing list of customer complaints. The letter, addressed to AT&T California President Susan Santana, said the CPUC had received concerns from public utility infrastructure providers—including companies that generate and transmit energy—about services delivered over T-1 data circuits. Some customers reported that rates had more than doubled, while others saw far steeper increases. Some entities had already lost service or feared they soon would.