Following hundreds of public comments, a decision on ceasing landline telephone service has been delayed.
In August, residents began receiving letters from Verizon notifying them the communications provider is planning to cease operation of its plain old telephone service (POTS) served via copper wire. The company filed an application with the FCC to discontinue the service.
In its application, Verizon officials state POTS in nine states, including Virginia, could serve more than 12 million locations, but only approximately 277,000 residential and business legacy voice lines remain in operation, less than 2.25%. According to the application, copper infrastructure is too slow to meet modern needs, is costly to maintain and vulnerable to damage and theft. Verizon officials state they seek to discontinue the service in areas where customers can obtain Voice Over Internet Protocol or wireless service. However, some of those who have received letters communicating the discontinuance have neither.
“Folks who are in Etlan, that’s going to be zero cell service as well as in other parts of the county,” Madison County Administrator Jonathon Weakley said.
Supervisor Carty Yowell, who lives in the Etlan area, said he was recently stopped by multiple neighbors asking about the issue during a walk with his dog. He said Verizon estimates that 70% of the county could be served by other means of communication. Many residents rely on traditional landline telephones during power outages and for their medical alert or alarm systems and even 911.
Initially, the FCC said the application would be automatically granted on Sept. 26. However, due to the more than 500 public comments received, the commission has said it will need more time to complete its review. An exact timeline was not provided.
In a 17-page response to the comments, Verizon officials said no customer will be subject to disconnection unless a commission-approved alternative is available at the customer’s location and the customer receives additional information about how to transition the replacement. Officials said approving the application promptly is “essential to advancing the Build America Agenda which aims to ‘free up billions of dollars for new networks, instead of forcing providers to keep investing in old ones.’ Every day that passes without approval is a missed opportunity to unleash resources for investment, reduce inefficient energy consumption and free useful copper for more valuable purposes.”
To download a copy of Verizon’s application, visit https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110070306/1.
