Verizon Agrees to Copper Retirement Process Changes in Maryland
Verizon agreed to process changes in Maryland for notifying customers and the Public Service Commission about copper-to-fiber migrations. The changes respond to concerns raised by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, which in December prompted the telco to postpone planned…
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disconnections of copper service in the states (see 1612120030). The company, People's Counsel and PSC staff agreed to the Verizon process changes after meeting Dec. 20, Verizon said in a Wednesday letter to the agency. The company agreed to (1) change how it files notices with the PSC, (2) clarify action deadlines and other information in customer notices, (3) train staff to explain the difference between fiber voice services and Fios-branded voice services to customers, (4) clarify customer communications about battery back-up for fiber-based voice services, (5) migrate customers in waves and suspend or disconnect customers who don’t respond to copper retirement notices and (6) report periodically on network transformation projects in Maryland. “Verizon's Report satisfies OPC's immediate concerns about the confusing and potentially misleading notices that Verizon sent to Maryland consumers in the fall,” People’s Counsel Paul Carmody emailed Thursday. But it “does not resolve all of the issues raised by OPC's Petition requesting an investigation of Verizon's handling of the copper network,” she said. The PSC has requested comments by May 1 on the OPC petition, she said. “Maryland still regulates basic local phone service, and Verizon has a responsibility to maintain affordable, reliable service. Half of our State does not have a fiber network, and consumers have complained in those areas about service quality and the maintenance of the network.”