NY PSC Examines Verizon Wireline Abandonment

. @CWAUnion's Debbie Goldman makes clear need 4 hi-speed wireline svce at PSC telecom tech conference @CWADistrict1pic.twitter.com/DSKIH8Oorx

— cwabobmaster (@cwabobmaster) February 24, 2016

Verizon has come under increasing pressure in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and numerous states throughout the region for its abandonment of the copper network, failure to build FiOS across the footprint, and serious service quality issues. 

Last year the PSC conducted a study on the state of telecommunications in New York State, and a series of public hearings throughout the state, where CWA representatives, community advocates, and customers testified in addition to the telecom companies and regulators.

The state-wide hearings were important in highlighting the scope and depth of the problem, and helped lead to the call for evidentiary hearings. 

The PSC held a two-day Technical Conference last week on many of the issues raised in the study. 

CWA's Director of Telecommunications Policy, Debbie Goldman, spoke at the Technical Conference on the importance of maintaining wireline service. "This copper network is deteriorating, it's falling apart before our very eyes." said Goldman. "Consumer complaints exceeded the PSC's benchmark every single month over the past three years. Trouble reports in wire centers, half of them exceed the PSC's benchmark" she continued. Click here to watch.

The New York State Public Service Commission plans to convene a formal, evidentiary proceeding on the issue of copper abandonment.  This is a big step forward in holding Verizon accountable to its customers, workers, and the communities it serves.