Verizon Shutting Rural DSL Services Down--FCC Complaints

Kev1mc

I have a home in the rural high-desert area of California. The DSL offered was old Fujitsu frame-relay equipment. The equipment is failing and Verizon does’ not plan on repairing, replacing, or upgrading the equipment. So hundreds of people in the area are losing service. This shut down is an extremely difficult situation for those residents who have depended on the DSL service while working from home.

I know for a fact that the Fujitsu frame relay equipment is being used in other parts of the country, so does the FCC, yet they are telling me it’s not available! How much does it really cost Verizon to ship some of the unused equipment from one part of the country of the other, not much! After 7 years of service, and thousands of dollars spent on my part verizon just decides to end my service and that of hundreds of other customers so they can avoid spending perhaps a couple of thousand dollars--just so a high level manager can look good keeping their department under budget!

There are no other services available for the area. Dealing with the extremely poor Verizon customer service phone technicians has been exceptionally difficult. None of Verizon’s departments seem to be in communication with one another. The old Fujitsu frame-relay equipment requires a Fujitsu modem; I cannot begin to count the number of times the Philippine, India, and even so-called higher level technicians in the United States have tried to tell me I am using the wrong modem. A new modem even showed up in the mail last week! I have spent hours on the phone trying to resolve this problem, which usually starts with a long revolving series prompts, then a technician telling me we need to reboot the modem, and then hours of them trying to tell me it’s the wrong modem. I do not see how such a large company can allow such poor and low quality service to happen. With land-line phone service on the way out, I would think they would reconsider their poor customer service tactics to retain customers.

I will be filing two complaints, one with the Better Business Bureau and one with the FCC for not delivering services as promised and shutting down the service with notice or attempting to repair it. I am curious, how has the BBB and FCC helped resolve their Verizon service issues?

Kev1mc

Our community of Landers and Flamingo Heights in California has completely lost Verizon broadband service, the community was serviced by older Fujitsu frame relay equipment. Losing the service wouldn’t matter so much, but for some of us there are no alternative services available. I have never been told in an official communication or letter that once the Fujitsu equipment goes bad Verizon will no longer offer broadband service in the area. Verizon just let the equipment go bad and waited for us to call in. This maneuver by Verizon leaves hundreds of customers without broadband. We are stunned that Verizon would just stop the service we depend on-the families that work from home and need broadband to make a living, the children who depend on the internet for their education, and the senior citizens you use email to communicate with their families. Do these people not matter?

We can only assume this is a cost effective money saving tactic for Verizon, but what’s amazing is how Verizon claims to support small communities and children through millions of dollars in philanthropic donations. Just one child matters, and there are numerous children in this area! Their political contributions are even more staggering, which total millions of dollars. You can see how much Verizon would rather support a politician who may or may not win than stand behind the current customers. In addition to millions spent on sporting events, stadiums, and corporate executive perks. To move one piece of equipment from one part of the country to another costs little in comparison. This goes against the Verizon credo and broadband commitment.

http://responsibility.verizon.com/shared-success#service
http://responsibility.verizon.com/assets/docs/VZ_Political_Contributions_Jan_June_2013.pdf
http://responsibility.verizon.com/broadband-commitment
http://responsibility.verizon.com/verizon-credo

“We are pleased to share our Code of Conduct (2.21 MB .pdf) to let our customers and business partners know that integrity and respect serve as the overarching principles for how Verizon conducts its business. Our goal is to be the most respected brand in communications by making and keeping promises to our customers, our communities, our shareholders, and our employees. The Verizon Commitment and Values, along with our Credo, which appear on the inside cover of our Code of Conduct, highlights these commitments.”

My ultimate goal is to have our old copper-wire broadband service restored—upgrading to FIOS would be nice, but it’s not a necessity and not the end result we are looking for. It seems me that Verizon would stand behind their customers and continue offer them service, especially in these tough economic times. I am speaking for all the elderly citizens who can no longer communicate and enjoy email from family, the people who can no longer work from home, and the children who can no longer supplement their education through research on the internet in this area.

If you have lost your broadband service in the area and would like to get it back, please contact Verizon and voice your concern. Other alternatives are filling a BBB and FCC compliant, because Verizon has not stood behind the service they had promised us when we signed up for it. Please do not cancel your broadband service as Verizon representatives are requesting. Verizon will never give broadband back to you and they will not resolve the problem if everyone is cancelled, simply request a credit through billing.
www.verizon.com