Verizon won’t fix copper lines when customers refuse switch to fiber

Nod

Nod

Honorary Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2005
Messages
10,968
Reaction score
2,716
Location
Darling
Source: ArsTechnica
Verizon has reportedly switched 1.1 million customers from copper to fiber lines over the past few years under a program it calls "Fiber Is the Only Fix." But some phone customers have refused the switch to fiber because they prefer to keep their copper lines—even though Verizon apparently is refusing to fix problems in the copper infrastructure.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that it obtained internal company documents that describe the effort to switch problematic copper lines to fiber. Verizon customers with copper-based landline phones who call for repairs twice in 18 months "will be told that their 'only fix' is to replace decades-old copper line with high-speed fiber as Verizon won't fix the copper," the report said.
Click to expand...

A nice problem to have ...
 
1st World problems. Everyone knows fibre cabling is one of the leading causes of fat-arseness.
 
Interesting read ...

But there are also customers who don't want fiber because copper lines can often remain in service during long power outages. When we wrote about Verizon's attempts to push these customers onto fiber in August 2014, Karen Anne Kolling of North Kingstown, Rhode Island told us that Verizon employees showed up unannounced on her doorstep to switch her to fiber—a claim Verizon denied.

...

Although Kolling's copper line often loses its dial tone during rain storms, she said that it "generally stays available during power failures."
Click to expand...

... and

In some areas where Verizon hasn't replaced copper with fiber, the company has been accused of letting copper networks fall into disrepair. Sixteen cities and towns in New Jersey asked state utility officials to investigate Verizon late last year, claiming that Verizon has failed to install fiber in non-affluent communities and has essentially abandoned the copper networks "through neglect."
Click to expand...
 
Slootvreter said:
Does the fibre cost a lot more than the copper?
Click to expand...
Not the fibre itself, no.

The initial cost to install all the relevant equipment and network elements is sizable and the telco also has to consider the impact of the write off of the copper assets, but this is offset by a hugely reduced future maintenance cost on the new fibre network.
 
Last edited:
Rickster said:
They are idiots, just like Telkom.
Click to expand...

Don't show us your ignorance. Telkom is doing the same thing right now. Where they have rolled out fibre in whole suburbs they are also moving their own customers onto the fibre network and recovering the copper. One of their objectives is to minimise the types of equipment within their network... (and there are many reasons for that).
 
MickeyD said:
Don't show us your ignorance. Telkom is doing the same thing right now. Where they have rolled out fibre in whole suburbs they are also moving their own customers onto the fibre network and recovering the copper. One of their objectives is to minimise the types of equipment within their network... (and there are many reasons for that).
Click to expand...

But they are only focused on the wealthy areas, not the middle class.


And should I get fibre Ill get offered a small cap, which is pointless.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X