Post-disaster consumer Protection Measures

Post-Disaster Consumer Protection Measures For 

Wireline Communications Customers in California

In the event the Governor of California or the President of the United States declares a state of emergency in your area that results in the loss or disruption of landline telephone service1 or in the degradation of the quality of landline telephone service2, landline telephone providers shall provide the following protections to their residential and small business (5 lines or less) customers for a duration of at least 12 months from the date of the state of emergency declaration or as appropriately determined by the California Office of Emergency Services:

1. Waiver of one-time activation fee for establishing remote call forwarding, remote access to call forwarding, call forwarding features, and messaging services;

2. Waiver of the monthly rate for one month for remote call forwarding, remote access to call forwarding, call forwarding, call forwarding features, and messaging services;

3. Waiver of the service charge for installation of service at the temporary or new permanent location of the customer and again when the customer moves back to the premises;

4. Waiver of the fee for one jack and associated wiring at the temporary location regardless of whether the customer has an Inside Wire Plan;

5. Waiver of the fee for up to five free jacks and associated wiring for Inside Wiring Plan customer upon their return to their permanent location; and

6. Waiver of the fee for one jack and associated wiring for non-Plan customers upon their return to their permanent location.

1 “Disruption” is the (1) loss of dial tone; (2) no connection or otherwise non-functioning service; or (3) circumstances in which the caller cannot make or receive a voice call because the disaster has rendered the service nonfunctional and so, the caller is unable to make a 9-1-1 call.

2 “Degradation” occurs in situations where service is not completely out, but callers still encounter poor service quality, including, but not limited to, static, failure to connect, a fast busy signal, and/or dropped calls, including 9-1-1 calls.

California LifeLine Customer Protections During Emergencies

When wildfires, severe storms, or other emergencies affect our communities, staying connected to family, emergency services, and important updates matters.

California LifeLine provides additional protections for eligible customers affected by qualifying declared disasters that disrupt utility services.

These protections may temporarily:

• Suspend annual renewal requirements: Affected customers can maintain their California LifeLine discount without completing their annual state program renewal during the protection period.

• Prevent loss of benefits due to non-usage: Affected customers are temporarily protected from losing their California LifeLine discount solely because they have not used their telephone service.

How Long Do These Protections Last?

Protections automatically take effect when qualifying emergency conditions are met and initially last 30 days.

An additional 30-day extension applies if certain utility service disruptions, evacuation orders, or shelter-in-place restrictions continue.

Important: Federal Lifeline operates under separate requirements. California LifeLine disaster protections do not automatically apply to federal Lifeline benefits.

Learn More About LifeLine Disaster Protections

For more information about California LifeLine eligibility, program requirements, and disaster-related protections, visit our California LifeLine Program page.

If you have questions about your telephone service, call Siskiyou Telephone at 530-467-6000 or 866-467-6001 (toll-free).