Senators Send Letter to FCC Chairman Pai Raising Concerns Over Proposed Rule That Could Harm Rural Americans Who Depend on Landline Service

A group of Democratic senators sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai raising concerns about a proposed rule that could harm rural consumers by undermining existing protections for landline service.The Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure and Investment Report and Order lessens notifications to consumers about changes to their landline service (virtually eliminating advance notice of copper retirement to retail customers), eliminates rules put in place to protect consumers, and changes the definition of “service” to reduce access to critical communications for consumers. “Households and businesses in our states, and across the country, cannot afford the disruption of having service altered without adequate advance notice, the assurance that an equivalent replacement exists, and a clear understanding of how to obtain and use the replacement,” the Sens wrote. “We need a reliable service standard in place to ensure that services people depend on will continue to work, and that rural Americans will not be left behind during this technology upgrade, furthering the digital divide.” The letter was led by Sen Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and also signed by Sens Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Edward Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).