Says Verizon’s VoiceLink Program Is Problematic & Needs Greater Scrutiny
(Queens, NY) Charging that “people who lost so much in Hurricane Sandy shouldn’t now be forced to accept potentially unreliable, inaccessible and inconvenient telephone service,” NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) is co-sponsoring legislation (S.5630) that would prevent Verizon from immediately going forward with a new wireless system in areas where the company does not want to replace copper-based landline service that was destroyed in the devastating storm.
“In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, this company is refusing to rebuild the copper-based landline system in areas like Broad Channel and is instead trying to force customers to accept a new wireless system called VoiceLink,” said Addabbo, who is a member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy. “But it appears that this wireless plan is fraught with a number of serious problems: some businesses will be unable to process credit card sales; no auxiliary power will be available in the event of a blackout; faxes, alarms and medical alert systems may not work; people with hearing impairments may be negatively affected, and service may be less than ideal at times of emergency when it’s needed most. We need the state Public Service Commission (PSC) to step in and take a hard look at this communications plan before and if it’s fully implemented.”
The bill would establish a moratorium for any telephone corporations in New York State that are planning to replace landline telephone service with wireless systems. During the period of the moratorium, the PSC would hold public hearings and conduct a comprehensive study of the proposed change in telephone service and determine its potential risks and benefits for consumers.
Addabbo noted that Verizon is already going forward on a temporary basis with VoiceLink in the western part of Fire Island with PSC approval and pending a report back to the agency in November. The plan is also receiving criticism from the State Attorney General and groups representing workers, senior citizens and others who would be affected.
“The moratorium called for in this legislation would enable this western Fire Island temporary plan to continue, but would ensure that the wireless plan could not be forced on telephone customers in other areas without public input and necessary study,” said Addabbo. “As the representative of areas that were particularly hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy, I’m not going to sit back and allow my constituents, who have already been battered by this storm, face the potential loss of necessary, reliable phone service.”
The legislation is now under consideration by the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, and the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions.
