Officials of telecommunications conglomerate AT&T said Illinois’ landlines won’t be going away anytime soon despite a new state law to end the traditional phone service.
The Illinois Legislature allowed AT&T to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers statewide when lawmakers overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto and approved the telecom modernization bill last week.
But the corporation needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission before it can do so. The law also includes an increase in the 911 emergency service fee for all phone customers, including mobile, online and traditional landline. Rauner’s veto was mostly focused on the 911 rate increases.
Critics of the new law said it’ll leave behind residents, particularly senior citizens, who rely on a traditional landline telephone service.