On 08/09/2026 19:42, Ethan O'Toole via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Unfortunately, this is not true anymore. In the current discontinuance application, Verizon plans to decommission copper even where there is no fiber or other reliable alternatives. In most of the areas that have FiOS, Verizon has already forced the copper customers onto fiber anyways.
Sounds like your friend is in for a rude awakening when he realizes nothing better is on the way. He's probably never going to get fiber and if I were him, I would submit opposition comments to the FCC ASAP (at least by Thursday, the deadline).
Ah. They just don't want the customers? Roll out too expensive? I've always heard internally Verizon saw wireless as the future and landlines a dead thing. I am sure they get killed when it comes to taxes and fees and stuff for having the copper in the ground. Just like when they go under railroad tracks. The copper is worth more removed from the ground and sold for cash. OpenReach which inherited our equivalent of Bell are ripping it out and selling it.
https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/bt-track-estimated-2bn-windfall-140629000.htm... I the UK the POTS service is scheduled to end Jan 2027. Most will get some kind of VOIP. May be fibre or part-fibre solution network provision. Our houses are usually closer together so many have copper from the house to a street cabinet, then Fibre to the old exchange. Other have what we call FTTP so full fibre. A few still have no fibre and may get a copper solution where the VOIP converter is in the old Exchange.
I remember when FiOS originally came to my market (Southeastern Virginia) there was a lot of drama. Some of the people running the contractors went to prison for using illegal labor, while they said Verizon basically pushed them to do so. Funding wasn't enough to hire legally. They never came to my city at the time, I believe the city council people were given Cox stock to keep Verizon out or something crazy.
- Ethan
Dave G4UGM