Verizon Must Protect Consumer Rights on Fire Island with Fiber and Voice Link Services, PSC Told
Verizon’s request to suspend its tariff amendment on its Voice Link service doesn’t go far enough for Fire Island residents, said industry leaders in comments to the New York Public Service Commission. AARP and the Public Utility Law Project of New York (PULP) recommended the PSC examine issues related to bringing FiOS to Fire Island more closely. Verizon said it will bring its FiOS service to Fire Island by Memorial Day and make Voice Link service optional (CD Sept 12 p3).
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The PSC needs to investigate the public policy implications of Verizon’s fiber network deployment decisions, said AARP in its comments (http://bit.ly/17p1doX). The PSC should investigate Verizon’s preparedness and plans for responding to future network outages caused by inclement weather, said AARP. “In the absence of such a deliberate examination, other communities could face ’temporary’ deployment of untested technology,” said the group. AARP said it welcomes new technology if it’s “better than or at least as reliable and versatile” as Verizon’s existing copper-based service.
The PSC should require Verizon to file a monthly report that shows the number of Voice Link subscribers by wire center and to monitor the timeliness of Verizon’s “repair of out-of-service and service-affecting troubles reported by residential customers,” said AARP. The data needs to be publicly reported in a form that “enables customers and consumers to examine the correlation, if any, between troubles reported in a wire center and the level of Voice Link subscriptions,” said AARP.
Verizon’s application to make Voice Link the sole service on Fire Island doesn’t discuss Lifeline service for eligible customers, said PULP in its comments (http://bit.ly/GzKfKu). The enrollment of eligible Lifeline customers is an “essential component” of the PSC’s service repair quality standards and closer scrutiny is needed regarding service maintenance and timely repair of outages for Lifeline on Fire Island, said PULP. Since Verizon is a “wireline monopolist on Fire Island,” issues related to the provision of voice service over fiber lines need to be considered, said PULP. The PSC needs to confirm that Linkup and Lifeline will be provided to all eligible customers receiving phone service over fiber lines, and it should clarify what discounts will be available for these eligible customers choosing a Verizon bundled package, said PULP.
Future tariff proposals similar to Verizon’s May amendments for its Voice Link service could significantly affect the telecommunications competition in New York and the ability of facilities-based carriers to serve customers, said Time Warner Cable Information Services and Cablevision Lightpath in joint comments (http://bit.ly/15HcrGR). CLECs rely on regulated wholesale services that ILECs such as Verizon provide over landline facilities, said the companies. “While the Companies do not object to the use of new technologies, including those using Internet Protocol, the Commission has a vital role in ensuring that ILECs maintain their interconnection obligations regardless of the technologies used,” they said. (sfriedman@warren-news.com)