CWA urges FCC to address Verizon abuses

In meetings with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) urged the agency to move forward quickly to update its rules to protect consumers during this period of transition from copper to fiber networks. CWA and other consumer groups seek to prevent a repeat of the Voice Link controversy, when Verizon tried to replace storm-damaged phone lines with its inferior wireless product after Hurricane Sandy in 2013.

CWA is particularly concerned that companies are skirting FCC rules that require companies to seek permission before they “discontinue, impair, or reduce” service on their copper networks. through a practice of “de facto” discontinuance. CWA urged the FCC to adopt strong discontinuance rules to protect consumers when a company shuts down its copper lines, and to clarify a complaint process to protect against “de facto” discontinuance.  

CWA previously provided the FCC with powerful evidence that Verizon Communications has been practicing de facto discontinuance by neglecting its copper network. When a customer reports trouble on the line or no dialtone, the company often sets up appointments a week or more away, and when technicians discover the problem is faulty cable, Verizon doesn’t authorize cable replacement. Instead, technicians are told to “jerry rig” a solution -- which results in repeat problems. When problems persist, Verizon often directs customers to substitute Voice Link for repair of the wireline service. Voice Link, a fixed wireless phone service, can’t support Internet connections, health and security monitors, fax machines and other data services

CWA provided the FCC with 21 pages of public complaints from Verizon’s own online forum, a company-moderated peer-to-peer site where “customers help other customers.” Together these complaints suggest that Verizon is neglecting proper maintenance, repair, and service to its copper customers – and demonstrates the urgent need for updated discontinuance rules and a clear complaint process.

A sampling of customer complaints tells the story. “Every time it rains,’ one disgruntled customer wrote, “there is static on the line. It was fixed a number of times last year, but continues to occur. Sometimes it is so bad you cannot hear what the person is saying. I would like to have this fixed once and for all, or I will have to consider getting rid of it altogether.”

Another Verizon customer described how frustrating an outage can be when the automated trouble reporting system doesn’t work:

I have a copper [landline] that was working fine until about a week ago. At first, people calling in only got static after the first couple of rings. We could still make outgoing calls, though. Then after a day or two, we could no longer make outgoing calls - lots of static on the line. Now we can’t make outgoing calls at all. […]

I tried using the online Troubleshooter, but it only goes to "No [dial tone]" and when I click Next, it [brings] me back to the start page. I tried using the online chat, but it kept disconnecting saying the service was unavailable - even after a support person responded. The Call Me feature is useless - it said it can’t test the line while it is being used, but I wasn’t calling from that line since it isn’t working!

Another customer complained about a ten-day delay to restore service.

For two years, [every time] it rains my landline goes out until the weather dries up.  6 weeks ago a tech came out and diagnosed a bad wire from the telephone pole, replaced the wire all the way across the highway.  A week later there was more static.  Next rain my phone went out, and when it started working [again] (but with lots of static), I called in and was given a 10 day later appointment even though I told them that was useless since the phone would be working by then.  I waiting 10 days anyway, and no one showed up.

Yesterday it rained.  The landline is dead again, and I just got an appointment (via internet) for 10 days away.

How totally useless this company is, 10 days to fix a problem.  I need contact with a human being, not a telephone robot, to get someone out here while the problem is [occurring].

And here’s one customer’s first-hand experience being pressured to accept Voice Link

I’ve still got the copper running off the pole to the NID [Network Interface Device] and into my house. Really just wondering what’s going on and why the folks on the phone [wouldn’t] even talk to me about it. I spoke to 3 people, none would give me a straight answer. The first person told me that I was a Voice Link customer and that Voice Link was a program they created for folks who experience a lot of storms. I’ve called in a couple of complaints in the past but it wasn’t huge storm damage, just a couple of problems up on the pole that didn’t get fixed right the first time. The second person told me that I qualified for Voice Link Service and that I would have to talk to a Voice Link person if I wanted to talk about my account. If I qualify for a service but don’t yet have it why would I have to speak to a person from the department I don’t have service with before I can talk to someone in the department I do have service with? The third person told me if I wanted my flat rate telephone service I would have to have Voice Link which is why she said that I already have it Otherwise I’d have to move to another pay-by-the-minute plan which she made sound as horrible as she possibly could. I never agreed to any of this at all. I don’t want to give up my service. If I wanted my home phone calls on the cellular network I’d just use my iPhone for everything and not even have the landline. How can you change my service without even asking?

CWA’s Notice of Ex Parte (FCC, June 25, 2015)

Verizon’s Biggest Union Claims Carrier Isn’t Fixing Broken Landlines (Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2015)

CWA: Verizon neglects copper lines (Speed Matters, June 11, 2015)

Public Complaints from Verizon’s “Home Phone (Landline or Digital)” Forum (FCC, June 25, 2015)