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story category Verizon Sale to FairPoint Approved By Maine Regulators
With a number of price conditions attached...
(old news - 11:45AM Friday Jan 04 2008)
tags: dsl · legal · coverage · business · Verizon Online DSL · Fairpoint Communications
Tipped by mattmill See Profile
The Maine Public Utilities Commission voted late yesterday to approve the sale of Verizon's telephone network in Maine to FairPoint Communications. The three commissioners acted after "an exhaustive, 12-hour session," only after FairPoint made significant financial concessions aimed at reducing the company's debt load after acquisition. In addition to quality standards Fairpoint must meet, the company must also agree to:
•Reduce the rate for basic home and business telephone service (currently $19.29) by more than $4 a month, for at least five years.
•Make high-speed Internet service available to 83 percent of all lines within two years, and 90 percent over five years.
•Freeze prices for current Verizon 768kbps DSL customers at $15 a month with a two-year contract and $18 with a one-year contract, for at least two years.
Verizon's $2.7 billion plan to offload their Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont networks uses a Reverse Morris Trust to obliterate $1.7 billion in Verizon debt, while giving the telco a $600 million tax write off. Fairpoint meanwhile gets saddled with considerable debt, which is why Vermont regulators denied approval last month. Regulators in Vermont, New Hampshire and at the FCC must now approve the deal for it to go forward.

Related:
  1. How Fairpoint Plans To Pay For Verizon Deal
  2. Unions Take Aim At Verizon Fairpoint Tax Writeoff
  3. Fairpoint Deal Moves Forward
  4. Fairpoint Ready For January Verizon Switch Over
  5. Will Regulators Approve Verizon/Frontier Deal?
  6. Stuck In Broadband No Man's Land
  7. Verizon Continues Proud History Of Denial
  8. Will Regulators Repeat Fairpoint Mistakes With Frontier?
Forums » Verizon Sale to FairPoint Approved By Maine Regulators
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gatorkram
Spelling and Grammer impared
Premium
join:2002-07-22
Winterville, NC
clubs:
·linode
·Suddenlink
·Cirtex Hosting

No logic

They know this company is going to have huge debt, yet they are making requirements for them not to raise prices, and in some cases lower them... Idiots..
--
Give me bandwidth or give me death!
»/testhistory/661871/4f240

P Ness
You'Ve Forgotten 9-11 Already
Premium
join:2001-08-29
Cromwell, CT
clubs:

Re: No logic

wow can you say bankrupt in 3 years

Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast

said by gatorkram See Profile :

They know this company is going to have huge debt, yet they are making requirements for them not to raise prices, and in some cases lower them... Idiots..
They'll do what K-Mart did: file bankruptcy and the year later buy another company.

bear73
Metnav... Fly The Unfriendly Skies
Premium
join:2001-06-09
Grand Forks Afb, ND
·Midcontinent Commu..

said by gatorkram See Profile :

They know this company is going to have huge debt, yet they are making requirements for them not to raise prices, and in some cases lower them...
cuz the average income in Maine is rather low... However, i also question the wisdom of the plan... it was noted that the deal would need an additional $100M cut from the sale price for it to work for Fairpoint... so what was the "aggreement"???... NOT to cut the sale price at all... and I saw no mention of all the tax write-offs and forgiveness for fees and penalties due to for the state that Verizon was demanding...
--
If ya gotta go, Go with a SMILE!
moonpuppy

join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

O.k. they promised a bunch of stuff...

.....what happens when it doesn't happen?
Nuts

join:2006-04-27
Forest, OH

I Thought This Was a NonProfitable State

If so, then how can Fairpoint reduce the cost of landline by more than $4 a month. Does this mean Verizon was over charging by $4 a month, and taking those PROFITS out of state.

slashman
Don't do it . ..
Premium
join:2003-10-01
Batavia, IL

Re: I Thought This Was a NonProfitable State

Probably is unprofitable. Regulators and politicians get to look good for now with a "tough" negotiation and lowered rates for consumers.

A year from now Fairpoint will complain that they are going bankrupt and the regulators will then allow a infrastructure restructuring fee of $8.

bear73
Metnav... Fly The Unfriendly Skies
Premium
join:2001-06-09
Grand Forks Afb, ND
·Midcontinent Commu..

said by Nuts See Profile :

...Does this mean Verizon was over charging by $4 a month, and taking those PROFITS out of state.
yes... yes it does...

VZ said Maine and NE in general are unprofitable cuz it didn't meet their definition of profit.... they dont feel double digit profit is profit... they want triple to quad...
--
If ya gotta go, Go with a SMILE!
brainlessdog

join:2005-11-30
Portsmouth, NH

Unbelievable!

What a mistake! Maine will have no choice but cable for high speed internet. Verizon had plans to install fiber in Maine and now they will never with useless Fairpoint. How much you wanna bet that all the executives retire after they get their merger bonuses. Just another example of corporate greed ruining people's lives.
soothsayer15

join:2002-03-01
Irving, TX

Re: Unbelievable!

said by brainlessdog See Profile :

What a mistake! Maine will have no choice but cable for high speed internet. Verizon had plans to install fiber in Maine and now they will never with useless Fairpoint. How much you wanna bet that all the executives retire after they get their merger bonuses. Just another example of corporate greed ruining people's lives.
Some parts of Maine and New Hampshire have FIOS. It's interesting to see how Fairpoint will handle those customers, especially on the TV side.

braynes
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Waterville, ME

Move?

Hell It maybe time for me to move. This sucks.

Bruce

Tzale
Proud Libertarian Conservative
Premium
join:2004-01-06
upstate NJ
·Verizon FIOS
·Optimum Online

Re: Move?

said by braynes See Profile :

Hell It maybe time for me to move. This sucks.

Bruce
Sorry man... No FIOS for the people of Maine!

cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
Newtown, PA

Ahem...

"...FairPoint made significant financial concessions aimed at reducing the company's debt load after acquisition..."

Translation:

"Pink slips, renegotiate your employment contracts, lower salaries, work weekends, benefits are optional"

Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ

Re: Ahem...

So far one state has rejected the plan (for now) and another has forced them to make pretty big concessions. Did I miss any others? I wonder if instead of outright rejecting it, they are trying to force them to give it up on their own.

astokes

join:2000-08-11
Bangor, ME

Re: Ahem...

They say they will lock the prices for the 768 dsl, what about other speed tiers? Looking at their website doesent fill me with hope, the speeds and prices are just terrible. They are allready in some small towns in Maine and have been for years, im glad in in a city where other DSL companies are avaiable to me e. GWI and Midmaine.

»www.fairpoint.com/telco/646fpne/···/dsl.php
whiteyonenh

join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable

Re: Ahem...

said by astokes See Profile :

They say they will lock the prices for the 768 dsl, what about other speed tiers? Looking at their website doesent fill me with hope, the speeds and prices are just terrible. They are allready in some small towns in Maine and have been for years, im glad in in a city where other DSL companies are avaiable to me e. GWI and Midmaine.

»www.fairpoint.com/telco/646fpne/···/dsl.php
Thats something that has me worried as well. Who is going to stay with Fairpoint DSL if they are able to get something else. I get 10mbit down, and 1mbit up from Time Warner for $55 a month. Why anyone would pay $80 for 1.5mbit down and 1mbit up DSL is beyond me.

droobie
Premium
join:2007-10-09
Bangor, ME
·Great Works Internet

Re: Ahem...

People with cable options probably wouldn't get DSL anyway. However, cable is hurting in several rural Verizon markets. For instance, the amount of satellite dishes in St. Johnsbury VT HAS to be scary for Charter Cable. Charter isn't working terribly hard at HD in that area either. The satellite guys pluck those customers off every day.

DSL can be done properly (and faster) than it generally is done by the telco. New technologies are constantly coming for DSL (especially in Australia where DSL is a big player). However, Fairpoint and Verizon are back in the ADSL1 game and don't seem to have an interest in upgrading. The only saving grace is CLECs like Great Works Internet.

Also - Verizon won't qualify people past 10000 feet for speeds higher than 1500/384. They will, however, charge you the 3000/768 price for that 1500/384. Admittedly, it's cheaper than Fairpoint's 1.5/512 service, but it's still stupid since it's technologically possible. I have a strong 3584/868 lock at 15000 feet using a 2Wire brand modem with echo cancelling.

SND2005
Premium
join:2001-09-15
Im Over Here
·CWLab

Re: Ahem...

said by droobie See Profile :

People with cable options probably wouldn't get DSL anyway. However, cable is hurting in several rural Verizon markets. For instance, the amount of satellite dishes in St. Johnsbury VT HAS to be scary for Charter Cable. Charter isn't working terribly hard at HD in that area either. The satellite guys pluck those customers off every day.

DSL can be done properly (and faster) than it generally is done by the telco. New technologies are constantly coming for DSL (especially in Australia where DSL is a big player). However, Fairpoint and Verizon are back in the ADSL1 game and don't seem to have an interest in upgrading. The only saving grace is CLECs like Great Works Internet.

Also - Verizon won't qualify people past 10000 feet for speeds higher than 1500/384. They will, however, charge you the 3000/768 price for that 1500/384. Admittedly, it's cheaper than Fairpoint's 1.5/512 service, but it's still stupid since it's technologically possible. I have a strong 3584/868 lock at 15000 feet using a 2Wire brand modem with echo cancelling.
Having grew up in the Bangor area I would take the same stance. But then folks in that area don't really have to worry. You can live about anywhere around there and get *something*.

Of course- in Charleston where my family lives- they are 2 utility poles away from cable and a good connection is 24 kbps.

Thats ridiculous to say the least.

For these folks the Fairpoint option sounds very nice. I can only imagine what Dover Foxcroft and the Moosehead lake region offers...(or doesn't..)
droobie
Premium
join:2007-10-09
Bangor, ME
·Great Works Internet

Re: Ahem...

Those people you speak of are often served by a CO that is in the next town over and are already out of range for a viable DSL option. Verizon is not that proactive about adding remote COs and Fairpoint won't have enough money to do it (they're usually a few hundred grand+ each after all is said and done).

Charleston has their own CO (DSL equipped even), but I don't know the ratio of serviced phone lines / DSL qualified lines there. I do agree that they would have potential to lose out in a Fairpoint universe.

Dover and Moosehead area I think have some cable options, but DSL is probably pretty scarce (again, distance thing). Cell coverage is pretty dreadful in that area too, especially for what a tourist trap it is. There's probably a fair deal of satellite Internet and dial-up going on out there.

DSL is an answer for those who can already get it, but unless the distance limitation gets solved (and some companies have come up with pretty cool ideas, but like I said VZ and FP are back in ADSL1 days), those people will probably still be underserved for the next 3-5 years.
droobie
Premium
join:2007-10-09
Bangor, ME
·Great Works Internet

The scary thing is there are no guarantees that Fairpoint would allow CLECS to stay in the COs. They could also make it extremely expensive/cost prohibitive to do business in those COs.

The quality of Fairpoint's DSL service in their native network is horrible. From what I've heard, they basically rent their infrastructure and don't own any of it. It's all handled outside.

A friend of mine had Fairpoint DSL in the Litchfield/Sabattus area and it would constantly go down and was a disaster.
JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA

said by Jodokast96 See Profile :

I wonder if instead of outright rejecting it, they are trying to force them to give it up on their own.
If that's how they feel they should just reject it out of hand. At $15 for a phone line, with maintenance done by union employees, their service will turn to crap within a year.

Call Verizon back in and give them statewide TV franchises with density/time build out requirements. NH started all this by refusing to even discuss a statewide franchise, not once but several times. They never heard of NJ, or what.
worker1959

join:2008-01-05
Plymouth, NH

Verizon Fairpoint Merger Opinoin

IN MY OPINOIN= Crap> CEO Ivan Vs $$$$ to PUC= Good Luck Public and the dark ages are back again.Because you the general public do not know because you are too busy in daily life. stop-the-sale.org
Read and weep.So sorry
Forums » Verizon Sale to FairPoint Approved By Maine Regulators


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