After the communications infrastructure of Fire Island was wiped out by Hurricane Sandy, Verizon decided it didn't want to rebuild severely damaged wireline phone networks. Instead, residents would have to settle for a new wireless product called Voice Link.

The plan faced massive outcry from residents, advocacy groups and government officials. There wasn't anything wrong with providing Voice Link as an option, but Verizon's plan to make wireless the only choice on the western part of the island, where the damage was worst, was a shock.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman accused Verizon of trying to "depart from a century of telephone service regulation" by going wireless-only. Residents called the wireless service substandard, and Schneiderman said it would deprive customers of the ability to use wireline-dependent services such as fax machines, alarm systems, medical alert devices, and DSL. Battery life was also a concern, especially during blackouts.

Verizon has now backtracked. Rather than continue seeking permission from the New York Public Service Commission to discontinue wireline phone service in western Fire Island, the company will bring fiber to the 2,700 customers living there.

In an update yesterday, Verizon Senior VP Tom Maguire wrote:

[W]e have decided to deploy fiber to the western portion of the island. The main driver of this was simply that our customers told us they were interested in a wider set of services beyond voice—services that no other company was willing or able to provide. While the island now has an advanced wireless network, we will soon begin building a fiber optic network that will enable state-of-the-art wireline voice and broadband services. We expect to have the fiber network completed in time for the summer 2014 season. Residents of western Fire Island will now have the benefits of both our advanced wireless and fiber-optic networks. As a result of this work year-round residents, summer rentals, and businesses will have the option of selecting our Voice Link service, traditional telephone service delivered over our fiber network, or FiOS Internet and Digital Voice for their Internet and voice calling needs.

The eastern part, with 1,100 customers, won't get FiOS as Verizon has said it can continue service with existing copper infrastructure.

US Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he "understood Verizon’s desire not to recreate an antiquated system" but said wireless wasn't the right move. "Their decision to replace the copper wire with cutting edge fiber-optics achieves that goal and provides reliable voice and Internet access."

Verizon being forced into making this decision demonstrates the importance of regulatory oversight, wrote Harold Feld, senior VP of advocacy group Public Knowledge.

"It's important to acknowledge that without the NY State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) providing regulatory oversight, nothing would have stopped Verizon from rolling out whatever service they thought 'good enough' for a local community with no other provider," Feld wrote. "The hundreds of complaints by customers and others before these agencies, and accompanying press attention, forced Verizon to acknowledge that Voice Link simply does not substitute for a landline."

There is still the potential of carriers not rebuilding in disaster areas, though. "[T]he FCC still needs to provide guidance to carriers on their responsibilities when a natural disaster destroys their existing copper network," Feld wrote.