CPUC Sets Stronger Service Quality Standards for Voice Providers Across California

The California Public Utilities Commission has set significant new requirements to improve the quality of phone service for Californians, especially in emergencies. At its Sept. 18 Voting Meeting, the CPUC approved new service quality standards that will help to ensure that Californians receive reliable telecommunication services. The Decision also extends minimum service quality standards to fixed interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol providers for the first time. The updates reflect a multi-year proceeding and incorporate public feedback, service outage data, and industry performance metrics. The result is new General Order 133-E rules that introduce customer service and outage repair standards across traditional landlines and VoIP. Key provisions include: 

• Service Restoration Standards: Requires 90 percent of service outages for landline and VoIP to be restored within 24 hours, eliminating exclusions like Sundays and federal holidays.
• Automatic Customer Credits: Ensures customers receive compensation for prolonged outages or poor service quality.
• Corrective Action Plans and Penalties: Introduces tools for holding providers accountable, including fines and mandated infrastructure investments.
• Expanded Reporting Requirements: Mandates the collection and publication of more comprehensive outage and performance data from providers.