In the wake of severe winter storms, residents of Arnold, California, found themselves in a bit of a pickle after AT&T’s landline service went down for an astounding two weeks. Allen Brocchini, a local who faced this frustrating predicament, reported that their home phone service was nonexistent, and the phone lines were left lying in the street. Talk about a communication blackout!
It wasn’t until KCRA 3 stepped in and contacted AT&T on Brocchini’s behalf that things began to change. Once the news outlet intervened, AT&T’s Office of the President reached out, and at long last, crews began working to restore service in the area. Makes you wonder how many times residents have to shout “Can you hear me now?” before someone finally listens.
While Pacific Gas and Electric Company managed to restore power following the storms, it left many questioning why the phone service took so long to remediate. Weirdly enough, these outages come with guidelines from the California Public Utilities Commission, reminding us that moving phones around isn’t quite as fast as our high-speed internet. After all, without good phone service, how do you call for help? It’s a question residents in Arnold were pondering while they waited for the good news that their lines were coming back online.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
