The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved new service quality standards for voice providers, aiming to improve the reliability of phone services in the state. The decision was made at the CPUC’s September 18 voting meeting and applies to both traditional landline providers and, for the first time, fixed interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers.
These updated standards come after a multi-year review process that included public input, analysis of service outage data, and industry performance metrics. The new General Order 133-E introduces several key requirements. Providers must restore 90 percent of service outages within 24 hours, with no exceptions for Sundays or federal holidays. Customers will automatically receive credits if they experience prolonged outages or poor service quality.
To ensure compliance, the rules introduce corrective action plans and penalties such as fines and required infrastructure investments. Providers are also required to submit more detailed reports on outages and performance data, which will be published for public review.
Service quality standards for wireless and broadband services will be considered in a later phase of this proceeding.
Commissioner Darcie L. Houck, who is assigned to the proceeding, stated: “It is important that Californians receive quality communication services regardless of the technology used to provide the service. I am proud of our decision’s approach to setting stricter minimum service quality standards and enforcement mechanisms to incentivize carriers to meet those standards. These measures will further the CPUC’s goal of ensuring customers receive safe and reliable communication services.”
The CPUC oversees utility regulation in California with a focus on consumer protection and access to reliable infrastructure. More information about its work can be found at www.cpuc.ca.gov.
