Verizon Begins Charging a Fee Just to Use an Older Router (dslreports.com)

Karl Bode, reporting for DSLReports: Several users have written in to note that Verizon has informed them the company will begin charging FiOS customers with an older router a new "Router Maintenance Charge." An e-mail being sent to many Verizon FiOS customers says that the fee of $2.80 will soon be charged every month -- unless users pay Verizon to get a more recent iteration of its FiOS gateway and router. Since Verizon FiOS often uses a MOCA coax connection and the gateway is needed for Verizon TV, many FiOS users don't have the ability to swap out gear as easily as with other ISPs. "Our records indicate that you have an older model router that is being discontinued," states the e-mail. "If you do plan to keep using your current router, we will begin billing, on 9.29.16, a monthly Router Maintenance Charge of $2.80 (plus taxes), to ensure we deliver the best support."

Comments

Really, this happens in America? How??

[Anonymous Coward]

UK person here - Seriously, if this happened in the UK there'd be a gigantic 'fuck off' from the customers and probably god knows what in complaints and legal stuff against the company involved.

You guys need to open up that market and vote with your feet! If companies think they're able to put that kind of crap in the T&C's and get away with it then it means you lot are:

a) too comfortable
b) fucked
c) being subjected to some backhanded deal
d) probably profit somewhere.

Re:Really, this happens in America? How??

[netsavior]

Most areas in the US have 1-2 broadband providers. And in areas where people actually subscribe to Verizon FIOS, the only other option (if there is one) is a far slower connection. In my home town (before Frontier took over for verizon), your choices were: 2mbit DSL or 100mbit FIOS

No voting with your feet when the country is 40 times bigger than the UK, geographically speaking, and under-served in the broadband market.

Re:Really, this happens in America? How??

[zieroh]

Here in the US, I think most would agree that AT&T and Verizon are equally terrible. The difference, though, is that A&T achieves that through gross incompetence, while Verizon actually goes out of their way to be evil.

Re:Really, this happens in America? How??

[AthanasiusKircher]

It is not called Franchise but concession.
Mac Donalds etc. are Franchises.

Wrong -- by federal law, cable providers often operate as local franchises. That's the term the government uses:

A variety of laws and regulations for cable television exist at the state and local level. Some states, such as Massachusetts, regulate cable television on a comprehensive basis through a state commission or advisory board established for the sole purpose of cable television regulation. In Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont, the agencies are state public utility commissions. In Hawaii, regulation of cable television is the responsibility of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. In other areas of the country, cable is regulated by local governments such as a city cable commission, city council, town council, or a board of supervisors. These regulatory entities are called "local franchising authorities." ...

The Communications Act requires that no new cable operator may provide service without a franchise and establishes several policies relating to franchising requirements and franchise fees. The Communications Act authorizes local franchising authorities to grant one or more franchises within their jurisdiction.

Etc.

By the way, you may want to look up the original definition of "franchise," which had to do with governments granting the right to do business in a particular area or for a particular set of goods, services, etc. The word was later extended in meaning to refer to large corporations granting rights to individual owners to sell their company's products, etc. as in your McDonalds example.

Using your own gear is pretty easy with FiOS

[Anonymous Coward]

[quote]Since Verizon FiOS often uses a MOCA coax connection and the gateway is needed for Verizon TV, many FiOS users don't have the ability to swap out gear as easily as with other ISPs.[/quote]

This isn't really true. Their gateway isn't required for Verizon TV. Their cable boxes use a MoCA LAN to get guide and on demand data, and the Verizon Gateway has built-in MoCA WAN and LAN, but you can always use your own MoCA adapter connected to your router for LAN to the cable boxes. You can also request CableCards instead and use your own boxes like the HDHomerun Prime or Tivo.

The ONT where the fiber comes in has both an ethernet port and a coax port. You have them switch to the ethernet port for internet and use your own router. Video will still go over QAM on the coax port.

Possible workaround: Complain

[Squach]

My cube-mate called up and politely said "WFT!?", and after some sighing, Verizon agreed to send him a new box for free. So that's something.

Get Ethernet from the ONT, then a MOCA bridge

[Ingenium13]

That's why you have them run CAT5 from the ONT into your house. The wire is usually there already, since they install it "just in case" you get phone service (apparently it hooks into the CAT5 port on the ONT. If you have home phone service, you have to use coax for internet since ethernet is then used for phone). Then you can use your own router (in my case a VM running Vyos). We have FiOS TV as well, so I have a device acting as a MOCA bridge (on it's own VLAN, I want their stuff isolated from my home network) and their devices connect to that via coax. You just need to make sure you forward the correct ports to the right set top box so you get the TV Guide and other features. If you have a DVR, then that's the device that everything is forwarded to, and it shares the information with any other set top boxes it sees.