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Comments on news posted 2007-01-16 13:42:08: As expected (and made long evident by a lack of desire to upgrade the region), Verizon is finalizing plans to sell off their DSL and phone networks in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to Fairpoint Communications, in a deal worth $2.72 billion. ..
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 aglinka
join:2005-10-21
Saint Johnsbury, VT | DSL.. slower? FairPoint DSL is far inferior to Verizon. They only go up to 1.5/512 around here, where Verizon will sell up to 6megs.
Will this be branded at FairPoint? I'm in a FairPoint area right now.. and wondering if this means faster DSL
-a | |
| | | | Re: DSL.. slower? now all we have to wait for is for AT&T to buy out Fairpoint, and they'll have even more states added to their map...
Even though I hate their DSL expansion-plans, long live Embarq...long live Embarq.... | |
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 Rob AJets AFC ChampionshipPremium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ | Smart More profit for VZ. | |
| Reviews:
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Verizon FiOS
| writing off New England? What seems to be happening is Verizon wants to limit exposure to FIOS upgrade costs by putting New England in the proverbial dog house.. their loss should = former Bell Atlantic/GTE territories gains in further upgrade/deployment which fills in more of the FIOS black holes... towns skipped over since 2003- 2006! Verizon's got much more to build in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Dc, Texas, California, etc.
If customers don't subscribe to fiber services in a region where the infrastructure got deployed.. Verizon can and WILL pack it up and move it elsewhere (there is some precedent for this with DSL network upgrades too).. this will be the case with New England states... just hope a cable company shows them some love, otherwise it will be a LOOOONG time before they join the 2nd generation Internet.. if not, they can always get generation one internet from the tin-can in the sky (satellite)  | |
| | ltt75
join:2001-01-22
Hollis, NH | Re: writing off New England? Looks like Fairpoint is already in Maine, VT, and NH.
»www.fairpoint.com/telco/646fpne/···vice.php
phone service
FairPoint Communications provides residential phone service to the following exchanges:
Maine
Brooks, Casco, China, Denmark, Eagle Lake, East Vassalboro, East Winthrop, Fort Kent, Freedom, Fryeburg, Greene, Island Falls, Kingman, Lee, Leeds, Liberty, Limington, Litchfield, Lovell, Mattawamkeag, Monmouth, Morrill, Mount Vernon, Naples, North Fryeburg, North Lovell, Palermo, Patten, Raymond, Sebago, Sherman Mills, Sidney, Smyrna Mills, South China, St. Francis, Standish, Steep Falls, Stockton Springs, Washington and Winthrop
New Hampshire
Chatham, East Conway
Vermont
Alburg, Cabot, Groton, Isle la Motte, Marshfield, Montgomery, Peacham and West Newbury
I had high hopes for VZ, but frankly screw them if they don't want us. I rather be serviced by someone the values rural customers more then be constantly told to wait another 6 months and maybe Fios will be available. | |
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1 edit |  What does this mean to customers of Verizon at this point?
Many people in my neighborhood are low income and also retired. Many also have the 768/128 for $15 that verizon had offered sometime last year.
Fairpoint seems to be pricing their DSL Service quite a bit higher than Verizon.
$35 for 384/128
$45 for 1.5/512
$80 for 1.5/1.0
Now the question of concern is, what happens to the customers already on the plans from verizon, does their dsl get re-provisioned, or is there a way to grandfather the plans that the customers already have?
Another concern of mine is that there is no way that Fairpoint could consider this competitive in many areas of NH that currently have DSL or Cable Service, also what happens with GWI's current CO-share agreement with Verizon in this case?
»www.gwi.net
GWI Services portions of Maine, and Central and Southeastern portions of NH with DSL up to 20Mbit.
A condition of the merger should be to the effect of that Fairpoint has to keep the same pricing for a number of years, or something to the effect, of Verizon pricing, and also dsl/phone packages, to help ease the transition over to Fairpoint.
I don't see this as doing anything but hurting consumers in the near future.
Whether Fairpoint has the money or time to focus on upgrading everyone in the state to FTTP is a non-issue, if prices are to go up exponentially for the majority of customers it is going to hurt many low-income people in the states of VT, NH, and ME.
Another concern is that in many areas of NH, and possibly some areas of ME and VT, Cable is currently beating Verizon on the speed front, and also sometimes on reliability.
Although in my neighborhood there is no cable, we rely on DSL, and Satellite TV (Caused by lack of initiative and Adelphia's Bankruptcy, now owned by Comcast). With Fairpoint's current pricing structure, I would not be willing to pay the prices that Fairpoint is going to charge for their DSL services, and may end up going to cable, as they should be wiring the neighborhood soon, as shown by increased presence of Cable Company trucks in the local area.
If I am still able to purchase products and services from Verizon at the same level of service, and at the same price that I have become accustomed to, then fine, the merger is ok, otherwise I don't believe that the merger is a good thing at this point in time for the residents of NH, ME, and VT.
[edit]Forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this look like Fairpoint is going to have to either up their speeds, or lower prices to really be any competition to cable, or even other DSL companies? How does Fairpoint expect to compete with the likes of Comcast and Time Warner?
Also, if Fairpoint does not increase speeds when/if they increase prices, I see people jumping to cable or other options very quickly in the wake of this merger.
Consider this...
Comcast 6Mbit/384Kbit.... $52.95, month with cable tv.
--or--
Fairpoint DSL.... $45 for 1.5Mbit/512kbit (unknown if this is with or without phone).
As most of the population sees the downstream speeds as more important than the upstream, I don't see how this is competition.
I see companies like GWI gaining lots of subscribers for cost conscious DSL consumers.
Not only that.... How does $35 for 384/128 compare when we currently pay $15-20/mo for 768/128?
What about customers on the 3Mbit/768 Verizon Tier, what happens to them?
I can already see whats going to happen when people get the letter saying that prices are going up while service takes a nose dive.
Let's just say that Verizon chose the wrong company to sell out to.
Can you say anti-consumer?[/edit] | |
| | | | Re: What does this mean to customers of Verizon at this point? I'm very concerned about the potential price increase of DSL...
The 768 tier package is priced just right...I couldn't justify a price increase. | |
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1 edit | Re: What does this mean to customers of Verizon at this point? said by ecdiamond:I'm very concerned about the potential price increase of DSL... The 768 tier package is priced just right...I couldn't justify a price increase. I couldn't justify a price increase and a speed decrease, and I am somewhat in the same boat as you.
To keep the speed tier I have (1.5/384) I would have to pay Fairpoint $15 more per month in their current pricing scheme.
I would have to pay Fairpoint $5 more than what I currently pay for 1.5, to get 384/128, how is that fair?
I can't imagine customers currently paying $35 for a package that verizon was offering them for $15-20 a month, and getting a slower package at that point as well.
Note: Years ago I paid close to $40 monthly for 768/128 service, and still have my original modem... it still works quite nicely for me, and that was with the all-inclusive long-distance "discount"
Again, I wonder, what about the 3/768 customers that verizon has in the area, what will happen to them?
[Sarcasm on]Oh thats right, something about a $120 a month 3/1 plan...[/Sarcasm off]
That last comment was obviously a joke, but really, whats going to happen is all up in the air, and their press release says absolutely nothing to the fact of what their plans are. | |
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| | Verizon sells ME NH VT Ive been working for these guys VZ for 24 years. They are putting the wood to 3000 employees and trumping this sale up like its a GOOD thing.They have raped the 3 states and they are dumping them ontro these BOZOS @ Fairpoint who think theyve hit the Big Time. Truth as it is VZ will spin this to make it look good to anyone who is stupid enough to see the emporers new clothes!!! | |
|  batterupI Can Not Tell A Lie.Premium
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| I love it. quote:
karlmarx said, The citizens of Vermont, NH and Maine all paid for that network through higher fees over the last 100 years, and what do they get? Shafted,
MontgomeryBurns said, Sheesh, the big V sells off the rural networks bought and paid for by USF subsidies and now gets to pocket the proceeds.
One or both are pissing on my leg and telling me it is raining. Whaaaa, whaaaa, whaaaa, not only don’t I get FIOS now my POTS won’t work. Please send Teletruth to the rescue.
I live in New Jersey and am not on the list for FIOS maybe now I will be. New Jersey has a state wide franchise law. How about the great unwashed, what kind of franchise law do you have? I love it, time to play good’ol country hard ball and get my Verizon stock back to what is was worth when I acquired it. | |
| | | So called sell off Verizon will not keep the 60% of fairpoint stock. They are doing this as a spin off so they can shoe Northern States away tax free. If they did this as a sale, they would have to pay real estate transfer tax in NH and I'm sure something similar in VT and Maine. It's like selling your house by taking a 40% down payment and adding the buyer's name to your deed. When the buyer borrows the remaining 60% you just take your name off and deed and save thousands in taxes. The states lose all the real estate tax on every pole,office building, switching office, garage, etc....
This is where it gets interesting. Fairpoint has a market capitalization of about $675,000,000 (using sept 2006 outstanding share report and Tues stock price). In this deal they will take on $1,200,000,000 of VZ's debt and give VZ $1,000,000,000 in Fair point stock. So a company worth $.675 Billion is buying $2.7 billion worth of access lines????? Is this the new corporate math?
Verizon is selling out The consumers in three states, the State's governments and it's employees. If this "sale" goes through, Verizon is setting up Fairpoint for it's 3rd Bankruptcy. The 1st two were in 1998 and 2003. | |
| | | | Re: So called sell off Hey man, I'm on your side but can you confirm that FP has been bankrupt? I haven't been able to find any documentation anywhere. | |
| | | | | Re: So called sell off said by shaftedbyVZ5:Hey man, I'm on your side but can you confirm that FP has been bankrupt? I haven't been able to find any documentation anywhere. You've been around the block and are a skeptic like myself. I don't believe rumurs either until I can confirm them, which I did before writing letters to my state reps and senator.
Link to every filing they have made with the sec from 97 up to last week, spelling out the financing and the bonuses promised to the Fairpoint execs for the merger with Verizon and "Northern New England Spinco inc".I guess that's our new name on paper. Looks like they had to refinance for the measley $35 million owed to Verizon if the "merger" fails. How the heck can they afford 2.7 billion? It's very dry reading.
»www.secinfo.com/$/SEC/Registrant···cooliris
link to 2003 bankruptcy
»sec.edgar-online.com/2003/03/27/···on41.asp | |
| | | | | | Re: So called sell off  (their loss should = former Bell Atlantic/GTE territories gains in further upgrade/deployment which fills in more of the FIOS black holes... towns skipped over since 2003- 2006! Verizon's got much more to build in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Dc, Texas, California, etc).....................................................................................................................
This is true. Except for the rural and poor growth areas. Remember Verizon doesn't have to sell the "whole" state as such. It could and it will sell off areas were they won't deploy Fios. The price of implementing a new fiber plant to replace the "old" copper in rural areas is not cost effective. Does anyone remember when they tried to sell upstate NY? They already sold Hawaii and now New England.
This is only the beginning. The best solution for customers in these "sketchy" areas would have been verizon building up it's infrastructure in the large growth areas and eventually update plant in low growth areas when they see profit from the new technology. Unless Verizon is selling their lines to another major player like ATT look for the reverse to happen. Verizon will make their "quick" buck and the customers will suffer. splicerboy has spoken. | |
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| | They cannot AFFORD to lower current Fairpoint prices.... I have Fairpoint. I DO NOT have their DSL. I am less than 1 mile from the CO and they are trying to offer me $39.95 384K/128k, OR $44.95 for up to 1.5M/384k, or $79.95 1.5M/512k. I have Time Warner for $44.95. It topped out today at 4M/384k. Where is the competition?? WHO, in there right mind, would choose Fairpoint over Time Warner?? WHY would I want to pay the same price for lower speeds?? If this goes through, Time Warner will be basking in the glory of it all. As you may or may not know, Time Warner CANNOT sell their phone service in Fairpoints current locations in Maine due to a "rural community act". Has Fairpoint said they will increase the speeds when this has gone through? Will my price as a Fairpoint consumer drop to the $17.95 Verizon price? If they are going to spread the 384k around @ $39.95, they are in for a RUDE AWAKENING. I am also a Verizon employee. That's a WHOLE other issue. | |
| tolimj
join:2007-05-23
Center Conway, NH | Fairpoint.......I don't think so....the spinoff is a joke You Fairpoint believers have accepted the wool pulled over your eyes. The whole sale is beening done because Verizon MUST be sold off to a small company to take advantage of a tax loophole called Reverse Morris Trust enabling the entire transaction to be TAX FREE!!!! (saving them 600 million $$$$$)...... Also, This is what Fairpoint says at the end of their press release of promises, quoted word for word;
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are not based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and similar expressions and statements relating to potential cost savings and synergies expected to be realized in the proposed merger with the northeast wireline operations of Verizon Communications Inc. Because these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include those risks described from time to time in FairPoint's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Are you kidding me??
I don’t know about you, but that’s not a company brimming with confidence and after completing copious amounts of research on Fairpoint, I know their reason for uncertainty.
If Verizon wants to sell off the Northern States so badly at least let us have a commendable company with solid experience and resources such as AT&T.
LET ME LEAVE YOU WITH THIS;
IF IT LOOKS AND SMELLS LIKE A SKUNK…………IT PROBABLY IS!!
LET’S MOVE NH FORWARD ….NOT BACKWARDS…….. | |
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