Verizon, Copper, Fiber, and the Truth

Alexander Graham Cracker writes "Starting last spring, reports began surfacing of Verizon routinely disabling copper as it installed its fiber-based FiOS service. We discussed the issue here a couple of times. In my experience, every time Verizon has installed FiOS at a friend's house, they have insisted they have to cut off the copper and move the POTS to the fiber. By doing so, they block anyone else such as COVAD or Cavalier from renting the copper for competitive access. Sources report that today, at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Verizon executive VP Thomas Tauke denied ever doing that. (The transcript should be up in a day or so. The AP coverage does not mention this detail.) I wonder if Rep. Markey's staff is interested in hearing from people who experienced Verizon disabling copper, and without notice?"

Comments

Rep. Markey? [right wing troll warning]

[tjstork]

Markey is a total socialist. He'll take any chance he can get to go after a business, until everyone is unemployed and has to get a job working for the super-government.

Re:Not really surprised

[cez]

Hah great post. Interesting tidbit from one Verizon tech perspective (why would we want to do more work etc.) On the other hand, I wonder how many situations arise where its just so much easier to yank the copper instead of spending time / man hours / $$$ to "fish" through the fiber.

Where do they make that decision, POE of the property or from the switchbox?

Who gets to make that call? Bob on site or Tim at dispatch that says: "Wtf do you mean it will take you 3 hours to finish up 327 Cleverdale!? You have another appointment in 45 minutes. Yank the copper, toss in the fiber and get your ass going...and btw I fucked your wife."

Here we can all see Jim's an asshat but does Bob go: "That bastard, I'll take as long as I want here... drill new holes, make sure the lights at an acceptable -dB, and hey that hot lil housewife was nice to me...