From the Examiner.com article
Lack of progress on Verizon FiOS spurs threat
Jul 5, 2008 3:00 AM
Washington, D.C. - The District’s consumer advocate on utility issues is threatening to back out of a rate settlement with Verizon if the company cannot show it is actively pursuing the expansion of its fiber-optic network into the city.
In a June 25 filing with the Public Service Commission, People’s Counsel Elizabeth Noël demanded that Verizon provide sworn testimony on the company’s plans to deploy FiOS, its high speed cable, voice and Internet service, in the nation’s capital. While FiOS is widely available in D.C.’s Virginia and Maryland suburbs, Noël claims that Verizon has shown no interest in quickly delivering it to city residents.
Verizon DC President William Roberts “promised me personally the Company would expeditiously work to deploy FiOS to D.C. consumers,” Noël said in a statement. “Verizon needs to put its money where its mouth is.”
In a rate settlement reached in March with Noël and the D.C. government, Verizon agreed to cap prices on residential services through Dec. 1, 2009, to train its service repair technicians in order to reduce repeat troubles, to implement customer service training, to maintain its copper wire network, and to pursue a cable franchise that would allow for the deployment of FiOS.
If the People’s Counsel were to back out of the agreement, Noël said Thursday, “all of the issues are in play and we would go to trial.”
Verizon has filed an application with the District for a cable franchise, said spokeswoman Sandy Arnette, and talks to that end continue.
“The District is an important part of our service area,” Arnette said in an e-mail. “But, it’s simply too early to talk about when and where Verizon will offer FiOS TV in D.C.”
Even if Verizon were to move on FiOS today, its customers would still have a long time to wait before connecting, Jim Pappas, president of the union that represents Verizon workers, told the PSC in May. And Verizon customers, he said, are suffering as the company has made a “conscious decision to disinvest in the flat copper network to support their deployment in the FiOS network.”
“Cables are not being replaced,” he said. “Maintenance is not being conducted. We have rat nests out there.”
Verizon claims to have invested more than $100 million in its D.C. network between 2004 and 2007.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
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been a Verizon Online customer since 2002. Since 2006, I have had my phone, internet and DirecTV through Verizon, and I have yet to see the advantage. While initially, they offered all 3 for 99.99, when you add on the DirecTV receivers, programming, taxes and fees, my bill was never less than 182.00. I should not have to go to an outside source for my TV service. Verizon had made plans for it's Fios service years ago, I am sure, and rather than offering it's service to all customers at the same time (DC,MD,VA), it chose to offer it to those who reside in the suburbs. I think it was more a case of dollars and sense since, at the time, the suburbs were the booming place in terms of condo growth and expansion. Now we find out that it may be years before we who reside in Washington, DC may take advantave of Verizon Fios. It really makes me believe hat there were never any plans for Fios to come to DC. Again, we in DC are last. But Consider this......if all of the Verizon customers in DC switched to something else for their online service, maybe then Verizon will step up to the plate and get Fios service in DC. I am beginning to think that when my contract expires in March of next year, I may be one of those that switch. Especially since bundling is costing me more than it would if I had all my services separately and from individual vendors
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