HUDSON VALLEY- With a declining number of landline users and excessive cost of servicing copper wires, Verizon has filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission seeking approval to end Plain Old Telephone Service in nine states, including New York.
In its application, Verizon states that landline service is “too slow for modern needs,” while the infrastructure costs billions to maintain and replacement parts are increasingly difficult to find.
Verizon added that customers could replace landlines with mobile or voice-over-internet services that meet 911 availability requirements.
The National Center for Health Statistics reported recently that 38.4 percent of New Yorkers are using landline phones while 3.1 percent use only a landline.
Nationally, 20 percent of American households contained landlines last year as compared to 95 percent in 2003 while 6.5 million U.S. residents cut the cord in 2025.
Residents contacted by Mid-Hudson News over the weekend were skeptical of Verizon’s plan.
Al Lotrecchiano of Carmel, a 92-year-old Putnam County resident, said: “That stinks. It’s not fair. I have both a landline and a cell phone. My cell phone is convenient, but I hate it because calls drop all the time. Leave landlines alone. We relied on them for years and years, so leave them alone.”
Anita Minella was also against eliminating landlines: “I’m sick over this. Although I have cell service, my go to is my landline. Cell phones are very sporadic. I experience no difficulty with the speed of landline phones,” said the Carmel woman.
Thomas Johansen of Brewster also criticized the proposed elimination calling it “crazy. I have been using landline services my entire life. It rarely goes out and voice quality is much better than using a cell phone.”
Another Putnam resident, Paula Mora, strongly disagreed with Verizon’s plan, calling it “foolish. I use my cell 95 percent of the time when making calls, yet I understand the concern of those with landline phones. Besides, it’s important to have a landline as a backup in case of an emergency since smoke signals don’t work around here.”
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