Why? Because the wired infrastructure is an essential public utility. The telecom industry is focusing on forcing customers into using cell phones and/or VOIP service for phone calls, but there is good reason not to succumb!

1. EMERGENCIES! When the power goes out, which it is more and more often, landlines are the only reliable communication option compared to VOIP or cell which will go out with the power or shortly thereafter.
2. copper land lines provide BETTER SOUND QUALITY for voice calls than do cable (VOIP) or wireless, which focus on data at the expense of sound quality.
3. Landlines do not give off RF radiation, nor do they support the harmful, wireless cell tower network being foisted upon communities by the greedy wireless industry; an industry that has known for years that RF radiation is a toxic pollutant (and now is classified as a carcinogen).
4. telephone lines are part of our city’s infrastructure, and we need to keep it viable. It is an ESSENTIAL PUBLIC UTILITY.
5. The more people with landlines, the more power we have to force companies to keep them in good repair. This will prevent the private sector from undermining this essential public utility.

Every town has a ‘carrier of last resort’ for telephone service as outlined by the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission) . That means every area across California has a company that is REQUIRED to provide ‘basic telephone service‘ to anyone who asks for it.

The Carrier of Last Resort in Novato is Frontier Communications.

If you live outside of Novato but in the Bay Area, your Carrier of Last Resort is likely AT&T. See the map below with more details. (Note: Frontier bought out Verizon’s landline services, so this map’s light pink sections are all Frontier, not Verizon California). If you cannot tell which company services your town, you can call the CPUC Communications Department and ask them to look it up for you.

Frontier doesn’t make it easy for you! They want you to purchase their internet/cell phone services. But you can easily succeed by following these steps:

1. You cannot look up your address on Frontier’s website looking for landline phone service. The website will tell you they don’t offer it, even though that is not true. You must call.
2. Call their customer service number, not the general number listed on the website, which is a 3rd party vendor who will NOT help you. The customer service number takes you to someone who actually works for Frontier and knows you can get a landline with them. CALL 1-800-921-8101.
3. Tell them you want a copper wire landline for phone service. (Currently it costs $31 for a local call plan, or $43 for unlimited calls to US, Canada, and Mexico and includes call waiting and voicemail.)

THAT’S IT!

NOTE: The City of Novato is not receiving emails from Protonmail addresses due to the firewalls in place. They don’t even make it to their spam folders. Send emails from more well-known companies like Gmail, or call instead of emailing.

Sample Letter to City Council Person:

“I am opposed to wireless facility installations near our homes and schools. Ensure that a new more protective ordinance is put in place that includes: *a 1500ft setback from schools and residences of wireless facility installations, *clear and complete checklist for the planning division to follow so the ordinance cannot be disregarded, *and includes immediate notification of the public when the city receives a wireless facility application.”

Please cc action@wireNovato.org in your email. If you receive a reply from an official, continue the dialogue by educating them and referring them to WireNovato.org.

EMAILS and PHONE #s for CITY COUNCILMEMBERS