Can verizon do this?
hunt
Newbie

We have fios in our neighborhood but we haven't signed up.  Our voice service is over copper.

Lately, we've been having problems with noise on the line.  Verizon has sent multiple technicians out to fix it and each time the repair request is marked resolved but it's not so we put in another repair request.  For the most recent request, the techician just came to our door and said (I'm paraphrasing) that verizon wasn't going to do anymore to fix the problem with the copper lines and that we should switch our voice service over to fios.

Can verizon do this?  They've acknowledged the problem is on their side.  I've looked in the terms of service but couldn't find anything addressing this issue.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric

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Re: Can verizon do this?
VZ_Constance
Contributor - Level 1

Hello hunt...sorry to hear that your landline is noisy. Can you please fill out https://www98.verizon.com/content/verizonsupport/  so I can access your account and find out exactly what is happening. Thank you so much!

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Re: Can verizon do this?
Arthurlw
Contributor - Level 1

Well, it sounds cold blooded, but I can't blame them for wanting to upgrade you to fiber either.  It takes them coming out and installing an interface on the outside of your house (ONT, or Optical Network Terminal) and replacing the copper from your house to the street or alley with fiber.  You still have copper inside the house, just the more reliable and clean fiber taking your phone service back to the Central Office 

And... last I heard it was all at no charge.

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Re: Can verizon do this?
acraftylady
Specialist - Level 2

@Arthurlw wrote:

Well, it sounds cold blooded, but I can't blame them for wanting to upgrade you to fiber either.  It takes them coming out and installing an interface on the outside of your house (ONT, or Optical Network Terminal) and replacing the copper from your house to the street or alley with fiber.  You still have copper inside the house, just the more reliable and clean fiber taking your phone service back to the Central Office 

And... last I heard it was all at no charge.


So if they do this for free then you have fios and is your bill the same price?  I mean can you still just have basic phone service without extras?  Someone here was having the same problem after fios was installed on there street and she got tired og iy not being fixed so since they had time warner added on the time warner phone to solve the problem.  If it's free to do the work why doesn't verizon just tell you that's what needs to be done on the outside and it won't cost you anything and just do it?    Mary

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Re: Can verizon do this?
Arthurlw
Contributor - Level 1

Can't answer that, Mary.  I could guess, but I bet I would be censored for my trouble.  Just for the record, most of us who contribute on here are just customers like yourselves.  We get no remuneration from the company, and not always even a kudo or thanks from the OP (original poster).  With that said, as an outsider my only advice is to keep calling Verizon.  You may have drawn some bad eggs, but I promise you they are not all like that.  Just be kind to them and usually they will respond in kind.  Smiley Wink 

But to answer your question... no, it should not affect your service in the least (except to make it better and clearer).  You have an interface on your house where the telephone utility connects to your inside wiring.  All they do is take the wire that goes from your house's interface to their junction box in the street or alley and replace it with fiber.  Then they add a new terminal wherein the fiber terminates, and different cables leave there to feed an Internet router and STBs (set-top boxes) when requested, and also a feed to your old telephone interface.

Well, there is one teensy potential problem that is added in the mix, and that is the fact that their new terminal (ONT-or Optical Network Terminal I think it means) needs power.  They plug in a power supply inside your garage or wherever, and it keeps your phone working.  In the event of a power outage there is a battery inside that keeps your phone service working (as long as it's a simple phone that needs no additional power supply, that is - but that is the case with all elaborate phones (they need A/C power to operate).  This battery belongs to you.  If it goes bad you have to buy a new one on your own.  This may be a small price to pay down the road for noise-free phone service, but that's your call. 

Arthur

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Re: Can verizon do this?
acraftylady
Specialist - Level 2

@Arthurlw wrote:

Can't answer that, Mary.  I could guess, but I bet I would be censored for my trouble.  Just for the record, most of us who contribute on here are just customers like yourselves.  We get no remuneration from the company, and not always even a kudo or thanks from the OP (original poster).  With that said, as an outsider my only advice is to keep calling Verizon.  You may have drawn some bad eggs, but I promise you they are not all like that.  Just be kind to them and usually they will respond in kind.  Smiley Wink 

But to answer your question... no, it should not affect your service in the least (except to make it better and clearer).  You have an interface on your house where the telephone utility connects to your inside wiring.  All they do is take the wire that goes from your house's interface to their junction box in the street or alley and replace it with fiber.  Then they add a new terminal wherein the fiber terminates, and different cables leave there to feed an Internet router and STBs (set-top boxes) when requested, and also a feed to your old telephone interface.

Well, there is one teensy potential problem that is added in the mix, and that is the fact that their new terminal (ONT-or Optical Network Terminal I think it means) needs power.  They plug in a power supply inside your garage or wherever, and it keeps your phone working.  In the event of a power outage there is a battery inside that keeps your phone service working (as long as it's a simple phone that needs no additional power supply, that is - but that is the case with all elaborate phones (they need A/C power to operate).  This battery belongs to you.  If it goes bad you have to buy a new one on your own.  This may be a small price to pay down the road for noise-free phone service, but that's your call. 

Arthur


Thank you for that info.  I guess I just thought if you went to fios just for phone you would have to get all the bells and whistles and increase your bill.  I did know about the battery as I have friends that have the fios.  They put it on our street a few years ago and bugged us all the time about getting it but was not interested but had I known that I might have just had them do the free stuff.    With the time warner phone if the power goes out you loose your phone totoally so no battery back up there.

Now 3yrs.  years ago we had a bad strom here in Buffalo NY in  October where we got snow and ice and leaves were still on the trees.  We were without power for  5  days as branches came down on power lines and stuff.  Was very scarry that night as you could hear the lines outside sparking and see the flahses of light and phone would ring once or twice.   Thank goodness for the cell phone as they were working fine and getting signal and we had a generator for the fridge and sum pump and of course the TV was running off it.

We just cancled are home phone with verizon after 20yrs. and had the number ported to my cell.  I can count on 2 hands the number of calls we get on each so was **bleep** to keep paying 2 bills.  We need the cell and texting a little more with son away at college and now I am enjoing that I can get all my home phone calls where ever I am at so works good for us.    Mary

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Re: Can verizon do this?
Caps09
Specialist - Level 2

I would have to verify that it would be the same price first, but I would switch to FiOS phone in a minute. It is still a traditional phone line, just brought to you over fiber from the central office. You do have to rely on a battery backup during a power outage, but to me, that's a small price to pay to get clear phone service that never has any static. Even looking at the copper line outside compared to fiber (if it's up on a pole), you can see that the copper connections are a jumbled mess compared to the much more orderly connections of the fiber line.

Definitely take advantage of having fiber access if the price is right for you!

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Re: Can verizon do this?
hunt
Newbie

I appreciate all the replies and information.

What I was really trying to get opinions on was: Can verizon say they are no longer going to repair their copper?  What is their obligation?  I hope I'm not coming across as obnoxious, I'm just trying to find out where I stand with them.

I realize fiber service to the home is verizon's plan and that the resulting phone service will be clear.  It's just that I've not had any problems with my copper service until very recently and I don't want to mess with the battery back-up and providing power to their ont if I don't have to.

I know that I'm not really stating a problem here so it's difficult to "resolve" it.  I guess I'm looking for an answer like "Well, verizon can choose to do whatever they want with their copper, including not repair/maintain it" or "Verizon has to maintain their copper as long as they offer their services over it" or something like that.  Any link to a terms of service document or the like would be even better.

Thanks again,

Eric

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Re: Can verizon do this?
acraftylady
Specialist - Level 2

I would go higher up in the chain of command and complain big time.  You are paying for phone service and don't have a working phone.  If we dont' want fios shoved down our throats it's our right  to have copper service as long as they offer it.  If they are going to do away with the copper line then they should just come out and say so and switch every one over to fios.  Even then people have other means of phone service like time warner and such to ditch them.   It seems these days companies do what ever they want with things and it's really annoying me.  I hope someone can help you and get it resolved.  Mary

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Re: Can verizon do this?
tony458
Newbie

They are upgrading you to fiber and your complaining but thay cant even get lines ran to my home?  HA!

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