MID-HUDSON – 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.
Reaction across the Hudson Valley has been mostly negative to the utility’s request and now U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has joined in demanding that New Yorkers deserve “clear answers about what this means for their ability to stay connected and make ends meet. I’m turning up the volume on Verizon, demanding transparency, affordability, and a commitment to working with communities to make sure this critical service is not interrupted for customers now connected via copper landlines,” he said.
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.
Parts of the Hudson Valley have very poor cell reception, causing frequently dropped calls.
Schumer voiced concern for customers whose homes may be too far apart to justify costly fiber-optic installations and who have little or no cell service. He also noted local fire inspectors’ warnings that fire alarm systems often still depend on copper telephone lines to alert the local fire department or 9-1-1 center.
Residents contacted by Mid-Hudson News were also skeptical of Verizon’s plan.
Ninety-two-year-old Al Lotrecchiano of Carmel has 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,” he said.
Anita Minella was also against eliminating landlines. “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.”
Comments