Interim Service Options for CenturyLink/Lumen Landline Customers Impacted by Wildfires
Posted on January 25, 2021 by Mike Goetz
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CUB, Staff of the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) (Staff), and CenturyLink/Lumen recently agreed on a plan to restore landline telephone service for residential customers whose service was disrupted by the catastrophic wildfire events of last fall. The plan requires CenturyLink/Lumen to restore service to all affected customers around the state by February 12, 2021. The company has made some progress toward this goal – meanwhile, interim solutions are available for residential customers.
On request and at no cost, CenturyLink/Lumen residential landline customers still experiencing service disruption from the statewide wildfires are eligible to receive replacement voice service via a satellite phone with 90 minutes of “talk time”. CenturyLink/Lumen will provide customers with a flexible spending card to cover the full cost of the satellite phone and initial 90 minutes. Alternatively, customers may receive a future bill credit on their landline telephone to cover these costs.
The wildfire and wind event that tore across our state beginning Labor Day Weekend 2020 caused widespread damage to significant portions of CenturyLink/Lumen’s networks. The network destruction included miles of copper, fiber, and other utility-owned infrastructure that helps to deliver essential voice and internet access services to Oregonians. Citing a “lack of a coordinated proactive approach” by CenturyLink/Lumen to restore telecommunications service to customers around the state, Staff requested on November 10, 2020 that the PUC open an investigation to ensure that the company gave customers options to receive comparable voice service in a time-sensitive manner.
Through the early phases of that investigation, it became clear that permanent service restoration in many areas of CenturyLink/Lumen’s service territory would take a long time. CUB, Staff, and CenturyLink/Lumen entered into settlement negotiations to explore ways to keep customers connected, while working toward permanent restoration of landline telephone service. The result was a December 21, 2020 stipulation whose broad terms are discussed above.
At CUB, we know that residential landline telephone service is still essential service for thousands of Oregonians, especially those with medical conditions, experiencing an emergency, or who reside in areas with inadequate cellular telephone or internet access service. As such, it was paramount in our negotiations to find a way to provide customers a short-term option at no cost while service remains to be restored.
If you are without landline service and have any questions regarding the stipulation, please do not hesitate to contact us. CenturyLink/Lumen and the PUC will also be able to assist.
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08/18/21 | 0 Comments | Interim Service Options for CenturyLink/Lumen Landline Customers Impacted by Wildfires