Tuesday meeting agenda item.
AT&T Presentation on Connect America Funds and North Coast Resiliency Plan
(Supervisor Bohn)
Discussion:
"Like telephone service in the 20th Century, broadband has become essential to life in the 21st Century. But,
according to a 2015 Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Broadband Progress Report, nearly one
in three rural Americans lack access to broadband service, compared to only one in 100 urban Americans.
The Connect America Fund (CAF) is designed to close that rural-urban digital divide. AT&T has chosen to
accept CAF Phase II funding, and representatives from the company will make a presentation regarding its
consideration to utilize these funds in Humboldt County to deploy and offer internet access and voice
services in areas identified by the FCC as "high-cost" areas. There will also be a presentation on the AT&T
North Coast Network Resiliency Plan, regarding local fiber optic resiliency.'
There will also be a presentation on the AT&T
ReplyDeleteNorth Coast Network Resiliency Plan, regarding local fiber optic resiliency.' .... Or LACK THEREOF....
I think they want to sell everyone on their ATT U-verse which is the non-copper cable service. I live in an area where the U-verse only reaches so far and then we still have the old copper cable so the speeds aren't that much faster. They offer an inexpensive entry charge but then it bumps up considerably.
ReplyDeleteI have DSL service and they won't support that anymore. Have a problem on weekends? Sorry, No DSL techs available, call back weekdays within limited hours.
The copper line is solid to the house, the line from the junction box into the house is solid (I installed it myself using best available wire and I still have outages.
Funny thing, it happens so often just before or around lunchtime and then after three or four hours comes back online. Since everything is controlled at a local switching office, I think (and I'm not a paranoid person usually) that the DSL accounts are being turned off and then on again. There is NO other reason for a service failure. They deny it. I'm getting another service.
I used to really like them when they were SBC but ATT turned sour for me. The people servicing the new fiber optic service are newbies so they don't know anything about the old systems, can't help you and the older techs are kept busy keeping those systems going. Of course the newer workers were hired at much lower wages and benefits so they'd like to see all the old system phased out as soon as possible to reduce labor and benefit costs.
THIS is from someone who works for ATT in the Midwest, brother of a good friend. He works in an area where there's lots of problems from winter storms, trees bringing down lines or the poles themself brought down by snow and such. He does the hard work but still feels the customers deserve the best service he can offer. Reminds me of the guys who took care of the phone systems in Humboldt/Trinity after a storm. Nothing but respect and appreciation for them.
I hope this time ATT has more to offer than just talk.