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FairPoint Rebrands Service as Cutover Date Nears
Unclear whether there are plans for expansion of FiOS footprint

FairPoint completed its acquisition of Verizon’s FiOS networks in three New England states earlier this year but lack of preparedness on the part of FairPoint delayed the date when the company would actually fully take over from Verizon. A new report due this week will reveal whether or not FairPoint is now ready for the cutover; if so, the full switch will be made in November. To get customers excited about FairPoint’s takeover of the fiber-based service, the company has rebranded the service from FiOS to Fiber Access Speed Technology (which has the promotional acronym FAST). Despite this push to entice customers, FairPoint is only slowly adding subscribers to the service and it remains unclear whether the company has any intention of actually expanding on the existing FiOS footprint or if they will instead promote copper-based DSL services.

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whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH

whiteyonenh

Member

Huh... why bother with copper?

I can't see them competing in a market where the standard package for Time Warner in this area is 8/512, and their fastest is 3/768 at the moment. I have the Roadrunner Turbo from Time Warner that just recently got upgraded from 10/1 to 15/1. I'd like to see them compete with that, but I can't see it with copper, or without doing something ala Uverse.

They really need to come up with a long-term strategy, as this 768/128, 1.5/384, 3/768 stuff is getting really old. I would love to see FIOS/FAST in my future, but it's not going to happen if they can't/won't upgrade to it.

With cable companies in the area still on Docsis 1.1, and now offering 8/512 or 15/1 from Time Warner, or 6/1 or 8/2 from Comcast, they need to catch up or be left in the dust.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Huh... why bother with copper?

said by whiteyonenh:

I can't see them competing in a market where the standard package for Time Warner in this area is 8/512, and their fastest is 3/768 at the moment. I have the Roadrunner Turbo from Time Warner that just recently got upgraded from 10/1 to 15/1. I'd like to see them compete with that, but I can't see it with copper, or without doing something ala Uverse.

They really need to come up with a long-term strategy, as this 768/128, 1.5/384, 3/768 stuff is getting really old. I would love to see FIOS/FAST in my future, but it's not going to happen if they can't/won't upgrade to it.

With cable companies in the area still on Docsis 1.1, and now offering 8/512 or 15/1 from Time Warner, or 6/1 or 8/2 from Comcast, they need to catch up or be left in the dust.
And 16/2 for Comcast in some markets.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt to whiteyonenh

MVM

to whiteyonenh
Agree would like faster connection as I'm currently on 3000/768 ADSL plan and there is no First Mile fiber in Milford.

That said FairPoint deal was focused on extending Broadband footprint in VT/NH/ME. One has to assume FairPoint is going to have their hands full rolling out ADSL for the next few years. Hopefully they will be successful and will be able to invest in Fiber soon.

/tom
whiteyonenh
join:2004-08-09
Keene, NH

whiteyonenh

Member

Re: Huh... why bother with copper?

said by tschmidt:

Agree would like faster connection as I'm currently on 3000/768 ADSL plan and there is no First Mile fiber in Milford.

That said FairPoint deal was focused on extending Broadband footprint in VT/NH/ME. One has to assume FairPoint is going to have their hands full rolling out ADSL for the next few years. Hopefully they will be successful and will be able to invest in Fiber soon.

/tom
While i agree with you, if they alienate all their central/southern NH customers, they will turn elsewhere for faster speeds, as I have tried the 3/768 plan and couldn't stand it for the cost/speed differential.

Losing customers would in turn lower the amount of money they have to invest in other areas of the state that do not yet have broadband. It really is a slippery slope they're sliding down, and I don't feel as a consumer that I would choose to switch to their service again if they don't become competitive to cable.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt

MVM

Re: Huh... why bother with copper?

said by whiteyonenh:

Losing customers would in turn lower the amount of money they have to invest in other areas of the state that do not yet have broadband. It really is a slippery slope they're sliding down,
Agree - this was one of the major concerns about sale. They are walking a fine line finding capital to expand broadband while holding on to existing customers.

/tom

QuakeFrag
Premium Member
join:2003-06-13
NH

QuakeFrag

Premium Member

.

"the company has rebranded the service from FiOS to Fiber Access Speed Technology (which has the promotional acronym FAST)"

I for one do not find the new name very appealing. Certainly a mouthful. The acronym.... seems quirky. From a marketing standpoint it doesn't come across to me as 'selling'.

charliebravo
@comcast.net

charliebravo

Anon

FairPoint Rebrands Service as Cutover Date Nears

Look Comcast is the only true provider of High speed braodband outside of Fairpoint's FAST network. Fairpoint is already losing the battle with Comcast in Southern NH. Southern NH was supposed to be their "cash cow" that they could rely on during their northern build out. Fairpoint will be looking for another buyer a couple of years from now. The corporate execs at Fairpoint who sold the PUC a bill of goods will be grabbing their golden parachutes and making a break for it.
Then we can start talking about fiber build out again.
erikthebean
join:2007-06-25
Milford, NH

erikthebean

Member

FAST

Well if their so fast why the heck are they taking their sweet time taking over their lines from Verizon??? I hope they bring some of that fiber up to Manchester, but i have a feeling that copper will win over fiber with this company, but i guess time will tell.

Mactron
el Camino Real
Premium Member
join:2001-12-16
PRK

Mactron

Premium Member

Cash

"FairPoint is only slowly adding subscribers to the service and it remains unclear whether the company has any intention of actually expanding on the existing FiOS footprint"

Expand the FIOS/FAST footprint ?.. I doubt it.
It takes cash that I don't think they have.
They will be Milking Copper for a very long time.

QuakeFrag
Premium Member
join:2003-06-13
NH

QuakeFrag

Premium Member

Re: Cash

said by Mactron:

"FairPoint is only slowly adding subscribers to the service and it remains unclear whether the company has any intention of actually expanding on the existing FiOS footprint"

Expand the FIOS/FAST footprint ?.. I doubt it.
It takes cash that I don't think they have.
They will be Milking Copper for a very long time.
Agreed. The money to build out isn't available, and copper just looks so much easier. For how long they will be milking it?... well, until it is no longer able to compete. I am still saddened that fairpoint took over, because I feel they are much less motivated to expand (even though Verizon is cherry picking).

ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

1 edit

ITALIAN926

Member

Re: Cash

Shut up with the cherry picking crap already. verizon expands their FiOS network every single day , getting to as many places as they possibly could. Eventually, all the copper will be gone.

When the cable companies built out their " fiber " network.. WHERE DID THEY DEPLOY FIRST?

I wonder.
jtorre69
join:2005-12-26
Hollywood, FL

jtorre69 to Mactron

Member

to Mactron
The barrier to investing in future proof ftth networks by the telco's is the short sided view their CEO's have.
Unless of course, they have something else up the sleeve????????????????????

fromNH
@comcast.net

1 recommendation

fromNH

Anon

a perspective from NH

The problem, at least in NH, is that FIOS is only available in a very, very small area in the Southern part of the state. Most of the central part of the state already has DSL while the Northern Part of the state has very,very limited DSL. Part of Fairpoint's promise to get approval in NH was that were going to expand DSL, presumably at the expense of FIOS. Considering the fact that acquiring the Verizon assets is a huge financial burden, I doubt they can afford to extend both copper-based DSL and FIOS at the same time.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Why does DSLR hate Fair Point so much?

I don't think anyone at DSLR is capable of writing a story about any ISP without leading off with some sort of negative, non related story. Come on what does re-branding have to do with some of the other problems? If you must bash an ISP at least bash after you get to the point of the actual story.

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

braynes

Premium Member

Re: Why does DSLR hate Fair Point so much?

I think you will find it is a number of things,for me it is I canceled service back in April and I am stilling getting bill for the accounts.
Each time I call and say the account was canceled and I even mails them copy's of my Bills from gwi(i Have had starting in April) they say would you like to cancel the acct. I go throu this each month so YES their are many reasons to dislike them.
Bruce

"sad little children playing grown up games"=Fairpoint

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: Why does DSLR hate Fair Point so much?

I don't doubt that Fair Point sucks a big one. The problem is that these stories are listed under "Latest News" which should really say "Latest Editorial"

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

1 recommendation

NOCMan to battleop

Premium Member

to battleop
LEAVE BRITTNEY ALONE!

oh wait...
qworster
join:2001-11-25
Bryn Mawr, PA

qworster

Member

New name-same crappy service!

I think that says it well. That said, they should concentrate on a hybrid fiber/copper solution like AT&T is doing with U-Verse.

The cost of running fiber down each street is something that FairPoint simply can't afford.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

FairPoint Proves Verizon Correct

I can't help but notice all of the people complaining about how FairPoint won't expand its existing fiber customer base. I guess that proves Verizon's claim that some areas are indeed unprofitable to be served by fiber.

kaiser3
join:2005-08-01
Colchester, CT

kaiser3

Member

Re: FairPoint Proves Verizon Correct

Chittenden County in Vermont(the home of Burlington,VT) would be a very very profitable place for FairPoint to for this service rolling.
fkittred
join:2002-01-24
Biddeford, ME

fkittred

Member

Good call Fairpoint


Fairpoint has announced that they will put off the cutover until January, 2009. Good call.

regards,
Fletcher

mouseferatu
Too many cats, Too many mice
MVM
join:2004-03-16
Im not sure

mouseferatu

MVM

I have no doubt Verizon will be happy...

I didn't respond to this topic in a timely manner because my soon-to-be FAST fiber was out again for several days.

This occurs often enough that it would be amusing if it wasn't so annoying. Plain old FIOS just worked for many moons, but FairPoint can't seem to quite figure this existing fiber deal out, or how to coordinate tech support with the Verizon Fiber Solutions Center.

November should be interesting, and should present all of us sitting ducks with an entirely new brand of chaos. At least it will be FAST, i suppose...

jsm1234
@optonline.net

jsm1234

Anon

Re:I can't see Fairpoint surviving beyond 5 yrs withoutfiber

Fact is, whether its a seasonal area or not, my feeling, if Fairpoint does not go full out with FAST, their copper network investment will fall to the side and they may as well trash it.

1. Wireless, people will be able to use phones wirelessly, eventually the internet. While not super fast, at least people can get online.
2. DirectTV, better for video than anything else, even pixelized, at least customers can enjoy HD and still be able to order "cable like" service.

While a FTTP solution would run circles around these alternatives, I don't see DSL being much better. Investing in a U-Verse like setup probably wouldn't be much better either and here is why. People hunger for bandwidth, speed, reliability and competition, if Fairpoint invests in a U-Verse like IPTV solution. People may just instead, work with cable to do this fiber idea; don't nod them out, if they think they can pull in 300 million a year (after maybe 3 years of slow growth), I envision them doing it. I mean, I see cable TV today in towns I never thought they would even want to build, but they built there, they have a network and their bringing in money.

It is possible for Fairpoint to see an entire downturn on the value of its network so please, pick the hint up now.. build out FAST, use a loan program like suggested in the Fairpoint forum. Just sit down and work out the numbers, after a few slow years, you'll have a network that is future proof for decades to come.

Brooklyn
@verizon.net

Brooklyn

Anon

F.A.S.T -vs- Broad service

I live in NH in the Plymouth area, I had comcast high speed the best they had... It was no better then dial-up at times. I also used it when I lived in NY. No matter what anyone will say broad is weak very weak even on downloading torrents even when their is over 500 seeders and over 600 leechers it gets even weaker with the right settings. F.A.S.T will beat and out run and any type of broad service out their. College towns will be some of the first type of areas that will have it because they hold the biggest user base to even run speed test. So if their is ever going to be a superman of the internet as far as speed goes it will be F.A.S.T or FiOS nothing will be able to beat it in the future unless someone was to come out with light beam technology which is known to be faster then anything, its like a laser bean almost the same type of super technology....man you talk about sucking down a download in like ten seconds flat LOL!! any download 35MB. But this is just I know about all this babbling. NEXT!!

From Brooklyn