axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC | What will Verizon do
Is it worth it to them to wind down their business in VT without selling it? Are they going to give Fairpoint a better deal? Or just raise prices so they can cover their operating costs and debt? How does this tie in with the USF? |
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qworster
join:2001-11-25
Los Angeles, CA
1 edit | They can't abandon VT...yet...
Their contract with the federal govt. requires them to service EVERY part of their operating area.
Of course, after looking at the way the telcos have been able to buy off the Republican controlled FCC so well, anything is possible! |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
| said by qworster  :Their contract with the federal govt. requires them to service EVERY part of their operating area. I think the Telco's have been "servicing" their customers for a hundred years now. I don't know about you, but my ass is getting a bit sore.
--
Pretty Fly for a White Guy™ |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to axus
Re: What will Verizon do
How about let their plant and service dwindle into the bare minimum required by the regulators. |
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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
| reply to axus
They have already dropped the price by over $200 million in the proposed Maine settlement. However a larger better financed telco than Fairpoint would still want a better price than that. I'm sure glad I'm not a Fairpoint customer in one of the 17 states outside of New England because if this deal ever goes through they won't have any money to improve service anywhere else. |
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duked
join:2000-08-12
Brunswick, ME
| reply to Matt
Re: They can't abandon VT...yet...
Did anyone get this email
Dear Verizon New England Inc. Customer,
Pending approval of the Maine, Vermont & New Hampshire public utilities commissions, Verizon has agreed to transfer control of Verizon New England Inc. assets in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire to FairPoint Communications. After the transfer, your new local service provider will be FairPoint Communications. We currently expect that this transfer will occur between January 31 and May 1, 2008.
Beginning December 2007, Verizon will cease providing paper-free billing. It is Verizon’s current understanding that FairPoint Communications will reinstate paper-free billing at a future date.
It has been a pleasure serving you.
Sincerely,
Verizon
JUmping the gun a little????? |
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peerimpact
join:2005-11-07
Londonderry, VT
| Good Riddance Verizon
I hate to say it but Comcast who took over the abysmal Adelphia in Vermont are going to love this .
Comcast has provided better service than Adelphia ever did and is rolling out Digital Voice service in Vermont .
My opinion is Good Riddance to Verizon who charge over $45 for a standard land line in VT .
If Vermont wants to become the USAs first eState by 2010 they better get moving and get some real broadband deployed like Comcast offers . |
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bogey780
join:2004-03-19
Here
| reply to qworster
Re: They can't abandon VT...yet...
They'll keep doing what they've been doing.
It's interesting to see the duality of opinions. It seems a lot of people see no problem with demanding that an incumbent always operate landline service even at a loss but then demand they be given no special treatment and have to just accept any attempt to eat away at their profits.
It seems that people won't be happy till the telecoms operate at a loss everywhere... but then they'll be angry that their phone isn't as reliable as it used to be back when telephones were a federally protected monopoly.
Next we can complain about insurance companies refusing to insure 16yr old kids who like to drive drunk.
I personally am shocked that people can't draw correlations and connections as they once could. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| reply to qworster
said by qworster :Their contract with the federal govt. requires them to service EVERY part of their operating area. Well there is "ABANDONMENT" and there is abandonment. And Verizon can downgrade service and maintenance significantly without OFFICIALLY abandoning an area. If VT isn't reasonable, they WILL be harming their states citizens. |
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jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
 ·surpasshosting
 ·ViaTalk
| reply to peerimpact
Re: Good Riddance Verizon
Dear Sir,
The statements contained in your post are unacceptable for this forum -- all Comcast-related posts on BBR must blatantly one-sided rants, and should refer only to Comcast's oversubscribing, bittorrent-connection-blocking, greedy, conniving business practices.
The Management |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA
| reply to axus
Re: What will Verizon do
That's really the approach they should take: Just keep reducing service so that northern New England is as profitable as the rest of the country, even if that means service there goes into the toilet. Eventually, Vermont will THROW them out.
The state cannot reasonably expect them to support underperforming operations. It is an immoral abuse of state power. |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX | reply to qworster
Re: They can't abandon VT...yet...
Whoever has the majority in congress controls the FCC. So that'd be the Democrats. |
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whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
| Well...
I hope it sticks... Fairpoint really doesn't have the funds necessary to upgrade the network. Borrowing money is really quite risky, many areas that have some sort of broadband would blow Fairpoint's idea of DSL out of the water. I will not be switching to Fairpoint, as I'm not in the mood for the current pricing that i am able to dig up from some of their other areas.
For what they are charging for 1.5/1 DSL I can get 10/1 cable for the same or less cost. IMHO Fairpoint will only be relevant in the parts of NH, ME, and VT that don't have other options other than dialup or sattelite. |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Hollis Hosting
·Verizon Online DSL
·Fairpoint Communic..
| reply to bicker
Re: What will Verizon do
said by bicker :The state cannot reasonably expect them to support underperforming operations. It is an immoral abuse of state power. No that is why there are state public utility commissions rather then Federal so regulated utilities are able to request tariff rates that reflect local conditions.
I fail to see what is immoral about government requiring regulated companies provide certain services.
/tom |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA
| It's called an unfunded mandate. It's immoral when the federal government imposes one on state governments, and doubly so when any government imposes one on private institutions.
As long as the public utility commission approves tariffs such that the business can satisfy its fiduciary responsibility to its owners to invest their resources in the best interests of the owners, then there is no problem. Barring that, the business unquestionably should be allowed to sell their assets and stop wasting more resources on the under-performing asset. |
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qworster
join:2001-11-25
Los Angeles, CA
·DSL EXTREME
·Brand X Internet
·RoadRunner Cable
·Vonage
2 edits | reply to NOCMan
WRONG!
The FCC is a part of the Executive Branch of Govt., and FCC Commissioners are apppointed by the President. There are five Commissioners, three from one party and two from the other. Though I suppose it's theoretically possible for a Republican President to appoint three Democrats, Bush didn't do this, which means that ALL FCC business is controlled by the Republicans, via the 3-2 margin. It's also NO coincidence that virtually ALL anti consumer (pro big business) decisions the FCC has made the in past 7 years are/were always by a 3-2 majority, with the three REPUBLICAN Commissioners voting yes and the two Democrats voting no. |
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droobie
Premium
join:2007-10-09
Bangor, ME
| reply to whiteyonenh
Re: Well...
In several of the Maine Verizon markets that would be acquired by Fairpoint, they already have 20/1 DSL service for 60$ a month, and they can also get phone through the same DSL carrier. Not to say cable doesn't matter, just that cable is only available in something like 60% of Maine.
I figure in a Fairpoint world they'd kick that CLEC out of the COs pretty quick so they could offer their crazy 80 a month 1.5/1 service you speak of.
From what I've heard it isn't even their service. Fairpoint outsources their data services to someone else on their behalf. |
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droobie
Premium
join:2007-10-09
Bangor, ME
| I hate to say it but....
I hate to say it but I think I'd rather have AT&T buy out the market than Fairpoint. They won't, but, while AT&T's current offering is behind Verizon's FIOS, at least it isn't as far back as Fairpoint, and they DO have the money to do something about it. |
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RandyStevenson
@comcast.net
thumbs down from:
TKJunkMail
| reply to bogey780
Re: They can't abandon VT...yet...
said by bogey780 : It seems a lot of people see no problem with demanding that an incumbent always operate landline service even at a loss but then demand they be given no special treatment and have to just accept any attempt to eat away at their profits. Megadittos, bogey780! People forget that the primary purpose of a corporation is to enrich their stockholders. Customers should only be given the minimum level of service to keep them paying, nothing more. Damm customers, give them 6Mb and before the day is over, they're crying for 10Mb.
Furthermore, we need to bust up the gobdam unions and drastically cut back the worker's pension and health care benefits. If some employee doesn't like it, they can leave. There are plenty of people looking for work. Dammit, we need to maximize the stockholders profit, not give it to some whiny budding socialist employee that thinks s/he's entitled to it!
Are you with me, boy? |
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KA3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium
join:2006-01-17
West Chester, PA
clubs:
·Cricket Broadband
 ·Verizon FIOS
2 edits | reply to axus
Oh Ivan.....
My comments to Ivan Sidenberg.... 
BWAHAHAHAHAAAA! |
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