Earlier this week, Bloomberg News quoted Verizon CMO John Stratton as saying the telco plans to move to all IP voice within seven years. Now Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe says that's not the case, and that Verizon has announced no timeline in migrating users from the PSTN to VoIP. As we've previously reported, Rabe notes Verizon will be nudging all fiber/FiOS customers onto VoIP with the broad launch of FiOS Digital Voice, which he says should drop "fairly near term - 09-ish, probably first half."

Verizon's VoIP efforts have been a little half-hearted, given they don't want to further erode already declining landline revenues. They do offer a Voicewing VoIP service, but they've stopped marketing it, according to Rabe. It's a balancing act for Verizon: push VoIP full throttle and kill off copper faster, or ease into it more slowly so they can milk landline income for as long as possible? They've chosen the latter.

The discussion here also raises some questions about what Verizon plans to do with the customers (many in rural areas) outside of the initial $24 billion FiOS deployment plan. According to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, what to do after Verizon hits their 18 million home target has not yet been decided -- and won't be until sometime next year.

Verizon will probably continue selling less profitable rural markets, like they just did with networks in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. We're watching carefully to see how many rural/copper customers Verizon feels don't warrant the upgrade to fiber to the home, because they're in areas that don't provide them with a suitable return on their investment.

When it's all said and done, what percentage of Verizon customers won't see fiber to the home, including markets sold and markets left on DSL? 10%? 20%? 40%? Will Verizon deliver a DSL-specific VoIP product to those customers too, or will they continue fearing cannibalizing landline subscriptions in those markets? While copper is dying, you get the distinct impression that for many parts of America, it's going to be around for a very long time.

Update: Verizon also discusses this at their blog.