Comments on: Death of Verizon copper greatly exaggerated

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:42:41 +0000

Ansel, yes, we have been having the same problems with our copper line, but here’s the twist: we have two lines, and only one of them gets affected (knock wood) by the rain/snow. My mother has a similar problem (which is why I got her a cell phone). The problematic line is my wife’s business line. I’m sorry to hear that contacting PCS hasn’t done any good so far. Maybe it’s time for some sort of litigation – class action suit? Why should we have to switch to internet phone – which goes out when the power goes out? I like that when the power goes out I still have a link to the outside world (such as, oh, 911!) It’s borderline criminal what Verizon is doing, and switching phone companies doesn’t solve anything since it’s Verizon’s physical lines.

By: ansel

ansel — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 01:58:42 +0000

We have IDT phone service using verizon copper lines in zip 1150-1601.
each time it rains or snows the copper telephone line is useless, eg no dial tone or so much static that you can\’t hear. despite repeated calls to IDT and the dispatch of Verizon technicians to find the problem it has not been fixed. while the snow rages and blows in blizzard like conditions on December 26, 2010 it would be nice to have a useable telephone line. To add insult to injury IDT has not delivered the promised credit for days with no service and useless service. A complaint to the Public Service Commission also produced nothing. Are there other people still using Verizon\’s copper telephone lines with the same or similar problems? When the weather is dry, not raining or snowing, the service works fine. Help is needed. Thanks

By: Rick Dvorak

Rick Dvorak — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:52:51 +0000

Although the only buzz seems to be about cellular technologies, I do not see anyone giving up their 52 inch HD TV’s for a 2″ x 2″ cell phone screen. It is obvious that the biggest growth potential for the ILECs is going to be video served over FTTX networks. Verizon seems to be maintaining its focus on FiOS, while AT&T is slowing the deployment of their Uverse somewhat. The latter is missing a huge market as far as brownfield or override deployment goes. MDU deployment for video is a huge market, and installations are becoming quicker and easier as technicians gain experience and new products and processes appear.

By: Russell Phillips

Russell Phillips — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:26:52 +0000

Let’s face it as the growth of Wireless has eliminated the need for phone lines. Take a walk in the mall and look at the kios and you will find it crowded with people wanting wireless services and phone upgrades . The major difference is it’s personal as opposed to just one or two lines for the whole family getting the family packaging of services provided by wireless services. Low cost bundle services would keep cooper lines alive especially base on the cost of the rollout of FTTP. I agree it’s exaggerated.

By: Jennifer deRenzy

Jennifer deRenzy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:24:42 +0000

Verizon has not abandoned the copper customer. As is true with any new technology, it takes time to deploy to the entire footprint. And as is true with any money-making corporation, they are going to deploy the new technology to the places with the most money making potential first …. hmmm where do you think they might have the most potential customers? Oh that would be cities. If you are truly in a rural area, then I’m sure you know that the rural areas are the most expensive per home areas to serve with any utilities. The rural areas are the last ones to have copper cable laid to them. And in general they will be the last ones to get fiber. If you don’t feel you are getting quality service then you should complain to your local public utilities board or escalate the issue to Verizon management.

By: Donald McCarty

Donald McCarty — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:09:04 +0000

I am a rural Verizon customer. All of the surrounding cities have FIOS. If Verizon is emphatic about getting rid of dial tone they need to get fiber to my home. Don’t hold your breath. Verizon has abandoned the copper customer. They should provide quality service but they are doing no rehab on the copper plant. My distribution cable is full of water and there is inside wire laying in the ditches to bypass bad sections. Quality service. I don’t think so.

By: Carol Wilson

Carol Wilson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:49:15 +0000

Andrew, I agree Verizon is consolidating their copper network, but they aren’t doing any rapid cut to push everyone to VoIP in seven years, which is what the Bloomberg story said. And they say, at least, that they have stopped cutting copper lines every time they install a fiber line.

I’m aware of the competitive industry’s complaint that copper access lines should be maintained and that’s certainly something the federal government or state regulators should act on, but right now CLECs aren’t going after the residential customers to which this story referred.

By: Jim Hayes

Jim Hayes — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:04:27 +0000

Certainly, the death of a century-old technology is painful.
But speaking from experience – having lived in Boston for 30 years, where we swore the phone lines were actually installed by Dr. Watson – good riddance!
Economics alone dictates the change. Old copper has no chance of supporting broadband and new copper is useful only when it’s short. Maintenance of aging copper infrastructure is so expensive that converting to fiber can pay for itself in saved truck rolls. Copper really will not support the revenue-generating services that consumers are willing to pay for, and neither will most wireless.
Jim Hayes
President, The Fiber Optic Association, Inc.
http://www.thefoa.org/
Fortunately the Obama administration is neither ideological nor tech-phobic and has broadband on their list of viable projects. The surely know that for 1/3 of what we’ve given as a Wall Street and the Banks as a Financial Bailout, we could fiber every household in the US.
Technological change is traumatic for some but having lived through 40+ years of it, I know it’s for the best.
Not that’s a good investment in infrastructure.

By: Andrew Weitzberg

Andrew Weitzberg — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:51:28 +0000

Verizon is absolutely consolidating it’s copper network. Eventually this will enable Verizon to dispose of their Central Offices as the fiber backbone will be terminated to new locations. This is part of a long term plan to eliminate access to the end user customers by Verizon’s competitors. Services terminated on the “new” fiber network do not have to be shared with competitors. No copper no “1+” access, no T-1 access no way for competitors to use Verizon to access customers. In major urban areas there is certainly competition, in the outlining areas, suburbs, etc the choices will be the cable company or the ILEC (Verizon & ATT)
People in the industry have known this for years. Verizon will continue to move toward their goal of crushing the competition by litigation or network conversion. Time is on their side and the public ultimately will hav e to pay the bill.

By: Ed Gubbins

Ed Gubbins — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:38:49 +0000

Couldn’t help but notice that the erroneous (mis)interpretation here, of an end to Verizon copper by 2016, is actually much less dramatic than the prediction made by AT&T Worldnet and ITXC cofounder Tom Evslin less than 2 years ago. He said then, “I don’t think the copper plant will last past 2012.”

See: http://connectedplanetonline.com/access/news/copper_landlines_gone_052507/index.html