Pennsylvania Investigating Verizon's Rotting DSL, Phone Networks It's no secret that Verizon's letting its aging DSL and phone lines quite literally die on the vine in areas the company doesn't want to upgrade. It's also no secret that the company effectively swindled Pennsylvania (and a few other states like New Jersey) out of billions in subsidies and tax breaks in exchange for full fiber networks that were never deployed. Fast forward to 2016 and Pennsylvania is now launching an 'investigation" into the sorry state of Verizon's DSL and phone networks in the state.

More accurately, a PPUC administrative law judge has ordered a hearing on the matter after being prompted to action by Verizon union workers, who've sent in numerous examples of photo evidence of Verizon's failures to even really try to maintain service (and customers) it doesn't want. The problem, as it has always been, is that Verizon lobbyists exert such influence over the state political process that accountability mysteriously vanishes. Still, the Communications Workers of America continues to use the issue as PR fodder (seemingly unsuccessfully) to force Verizon to hammer out a new contract after the last one expired last summer. "Pennsylvania families are paying top dollar every month for reliable telephone service and safe neighborhoods and streets," the CWA said of Verizon's neglect. "They deserve better than Verizon’s reckless disregard for public safety and service." "CWA members across the state are climbing poles and fixing equipment every day to make sure that communities get the service they deserve and the service they pay for," continues the union. "Despite its billions of dollars in profits, Verizon knowingly is leaving its infrastructure in a state of disrepair, risking the safety of telephone workers and Pennsylvania residents.” Whether you agree with the unions or not, Verizon has a well established pattern of neglecting these customers as it spends all its attention on more profitable (read: usage capped) wireless service. The company has sold a huge portion of its fixed-line networks to companies like Frontier and Fairpoint, and there's every indication the company isn't done with such sales. According to a filing with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Administrative Law Judge Joel H. Cheskis has scheduled the first hearing for March 18 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. According to a filing with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Administrative Law Judge Joel H. Cheskis has scheduled the first hearing for March 18 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.







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Most recommended from 54 comments



DaveDude

No Fear

join:1999-09-01

New Jersey 17 recommendations DaveDude Member thank the legislators Oh we will give you tax breaks for fiber deployment, and it you dont do it . We arent going to care.

Zenit

The system is the solution

Premium Member

join:2012-05-07

Purcellville, VA 9 recommendations Zenit Premium Member Not just PA



I have wrote enough regarding VZ's cheapness, lack of care, and absolute apathy for their customer base. VZ Corporate is on a planned agenda to destroy their ILEC operating companies from the inside-out; break the union, abandon over 1/2 of the footprint, and keep the FiOS as a little sweet reward. No company willingly operates the way VZ does if they have any intention of sticking around for the long term.



A few months ago I found this gem of a "repair" - it was quite aged and "temporary" in the sense that they will never replace the splice case, just replace the bag:







Such repairs like this are SOP for VZ and copper services (yes, in non-FiOS areas stuff like this is common, some people think they just do this to the copper in areas where FiOS is present but this is wrong). VZ needs to be investigated throughout its footprint. Poor workmanship and falling apart infrastructure are not unique to PA. Same thing is happening in VA, in MD, in NY.I have wrote enough regarding VZ's cheapness, lack of care, and absolute apathy for their customer base. VZ Corporate is on a planned agenda to destroy their ILEC operating companies from the inside-out; break the union, abandon over 1/2 of the footprint, and keep the FiOS as a little sweet reward. No company willingly operates the way VZ does if they have any intention of sticking around for the long term.A few months ago I found this gem of a "repair" - it was quite aged and "temporary" in the sense that they will never replace the splice case, just replace the bag:

hamburglar

join:2002-04-29

united state 7 recommendations hamburglar Member Similar everywhere Looks like Frontier around here. Corporate

join:2014-10-04 6 recommendations Corporate Member BFRR What Pennsylvania should be investigating is if Verizon met their goal of 100% DSL deployment by December 31, 2015. I can think of a few areas that do not have DSL coverage.



Will Pennsylvania also investigate FiOS franchise agreements, or is that a city government thing?

Willlhelm

@verizon.net 6 recommendations Willlhelm Anon Everything Is Carefully Cherry Picked VZ carefully picks the areas it knows it can deploy Fios and make a profit and these are the areas it wants to keep investing in. Its a well known fact that even after the sale to Frontier coming up, they will still have a lot of rural copper-only network and they want nothing to do with that. "Better matters" isn't just a slogan but a corporate strategy, POTS and 3mbps DSL is not the "better network" they want to be known for, 5G and NG-PON2 (multi-gig Fios) is and that's what they will be investing in. They also know rolling out Fios in rural areas will not be profitable so the plan right now after the Frontier sale and all remaining legally required Fios buildouts are complete, is start converting COs in areas it knows Fios can profit to all fiber. The other rural COs will end up decommissioned or sold if the regulators won't let them force customers onto LTE, VZ has no intention to invest in fiber in rural areas. Around me many COs are Fios enabled but also serve rural areas, I suppose when those convert to all fiber you could see fiber run to the rural areas but that's about it. If your CO doesn't have Fios now at all, chances are it will never have it and end up decommissioned to rot while VZ does the profitable thing, force the customers of that CO onto LTE.

JakCrow

join:2001-12-06

Palo Alto, CA 4 recommendations JakCrow Member How is this news to them? The state legislators LET vz get away with it. They said "Oh well" several years ago and didn't care. And now they're concerned?

shadowbane

join:2015-01-09

Kylertown, PA 4 recommendations shadowbane Member PA worst state on practically everything! gotta love it this state of pennsylvania is all about "ALL IN WHO YOU KNOW AND BLOW" I hope Verizon tanks so bad one day! I hope people get smart enough to just stick it to them every which way they can!

HaloFans

join:2006-12-18 3 recommendations HaloFans Member Verizon DSL. Collecting money from customers + gov without doing anything. Charges $60-$70/month.



Tells customers faster speeds are with slower sync speeds.

TIGERON

join:2008-03-11

Boston, MA 2 recommendations TIGERON Member Next sale to be announced CenturyLink, Fairpoint, Frontier or Windstream are the buyers of Verizon wireline assets.