The California Public Utilities Commission plans to investigate why AT&T and Verizon aren’t providing quality services to the state. Soon, a finance investigation in their infrastructure will take place. Recently, the commission has directed both companies to provide financial information to an independent consultant so that network analysis can take place within the next three months, following the fact that the performance of both of these telecom companies has consistently failed to meet existing service quality metrics. However, the decision came nearly four years after the commission initially recommended the investigation. During the investigation, CPUC found that the provider was unable to restore services within the given time span whereas smaller carriers were able to meet customer requirements and thereby restore service in time frame guidelines.
After two years, the CPUC ordered the investigation to be necessary and the companies will have to pay fines if any flaw was found. The condition of the carriers’ infrastructure and plan directly affects its subscribers to which delivering quality services are essential. However, both the carriers protested the taking of financial responsibilities for the studies and hence no investigation has been conducted to date.
In response to the CPUC’s claim and decision AT&T said, “The Commission out of service metric was inherently flawed and the allegations of substandard performance are flatly wrong.” The company also included that it had already submitted “extended and unrefuted evidence as proof regarding the allegation of outdated metrics. In addition, it alleged to be currently providing budget home phone services to its users.
Similarly, Verizon also defended itself by concluding that their company’s network was reliable and all the allegations were off the mark. They claimed to be providing cheap home phone services to its customers. In response, CPUC said the arguments have been misunderstood by both the companies and they aren’t providing a strong reason as to why the ordered investigation shouldn’t take place.
The CPUC’s decision states that “Given the absence of relevant circumstances or new evidence, we find that it would not be appropriate to further defer the ordered study. Further delay could undermine the integrity of the regulatory process by suggesting that if enough time passes without action on a Commission order, that order can be disregarded.” Under this decision, Commission staff has been ordered to report to collect funds from companies in three months and then provide a status report in 6 months regarding the progress of the investigation.