Technology Jul 20, 2026 · 1 min read

AT&T loses key ruling in bid to stop offering basic phone service in California

AT&T suffers setback but will keep asking court and FCC to preempt state rules.

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Ars Technica
by Jon Brodkin
AT&T loses key ruling in bid to stop offering basic phone service in California

California can keep enforcing rules that require AT&T to offer basic phone service to new customers in its wireline territory, following a federal judge's ruling last week.

AT&T sued California in May in a bid to end the state's Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) rules that require it to offer telephone service to any potential customer in its territory. AT&T asked for a preliminary injunction that would prevent California from enforcing the COLR rules while the litigation continues.

To win a preliminary injunction, AT&T had to show it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claim that California rules are preempted by a Federal Communications Commission order. US District Judge Linda Lopez denied AT&T's request for a preliminary injunction during a motion hearing on Thursday, according to a docket entry. The case is in US District Court for the Southern District of California.

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This article was originally published by Ars Technica and written by Jon Brodkin .

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