CWA, public interest organizations urge CA regulators to require 72 hours of wireline backup power for key network facilities in high fire threat areas

CWA District 9, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), Access Humboldt, the Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT), and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) filed Reply Comments with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on the wireline provider resiliency strategies, recommending that the CPUC require 72 hours of power backup for key network facilities in all Tier 2 and Tier 3 High Fire Threat areas, with priority to those with no reliable wireless service. 

The organizations urged the CPUC to quickly require landline telephone companies to provide improved battery backup power in remote terminals by replacing poorly maintained, obsolete equipment with state of the art batteries. California is already engulfed in major wildfires and that power outages that cripple essential communications services can occur at any time, regardless of whether they are part of planned power shutoffs. At least 8.6 percent of California households (1.26 million people) must rely on wireline service during emergencies. 

Read the CWA and Joint Consumer’s initial and reply comments. 

Links:

Joint Consumers and CWA reply comments in on the assigned commissioner and administrative law judge's ruling requesting comments on wireline provider resiliency strategies (CPUC, Aug. 21, 2020)