Orientation summary — a fast, cited starting point, not a substitute for reading the filings. Generated from the public ECFS record.
Public comments — 383 filings
Sentiment of the general public's web-form comments — separate from the industry positions. 383 comments, 360 distinct versions after grouping form letters.
Bottom line: Public comments run overwhelmingly opposed. This reflects the volume of public write-in comments — not the weight of legal argument, or the standard the FCC applies.
Estimated split: 97% oppose · 3% other. Support = wants the FCC to adopt/keep the action; Oppose = wants it rejected; Unclear = neutral or off-topic.
How we know: 22% of comments are grouped form letters classified exactly; the rest are estimated from a random sample of 310 distinct comments.
Top themes
- emergency reliability — 28 (oppose)
- health concerns — 19 (oppose)
- protect public utility — 12 (oppose)
- emergency necessity — 11 (oppose)
- emergency communication — 11 (oppose)
- health and safety — 10 (oppose)
- reliability and safety — 9 (oppose)
- service discontinuation — 8 (oppose)
What people wrote
- OPPOSE: “To the FCC: I’m writing to urge you to OPPOSE AT&T’s attempt to renege on their COLR (Carrier of Last Resort) obligation. Telecommunications must remain a public utility and the CPUC must remain the regulatory body in order to protect all Californians. ATT's bid to discontinue ” — 10 filed this
- OPPOSE: “Copper landlines work in emergencies when power is out. They supply their own power. Cell phone networks didn't work in CA fire disasters but landlines did. Battery back-ups for modems and routers (needed for cable and fiber-optic connections) are unreliable and only last” — 4 filed this
- OPPOSE: “I am writing to strongly oppose the retirement of copper landline infrastructure and to urge the FCC and CPUC to protect and maintain traditional landline service in high‑risk and underserved areas such as Malibu, California. I live in Malibu, where cellular coverage is inconsi” — 2 filed this
- OTHER: “The FCC is violating free speech. They have only Trump' s interests as important and are trying to silence everyone who disagrees with him.”
How this sentiment is measured
We read the public express comments from the FCC's ECFS record, group identical form letters and count them exactly, then classify a random sample of the distinct versions and extrapolate to all 383 comments. This is public sentiment only; it is not a measure of the legal merits or how the Commission will rule.
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