Verizon getting rid of landline business in California, Texas and Florida

[JEDI]

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/05/technology/verizon-frontier/index.html?iid=SF_T_River

Frontier Communications (FTR) will acquire the phone and broadband wires from Verizon for $15B.


Wonder why Verizon is leaving the landline business?
with the FCC (probably) voting that internet is a utility, they will still be under Title II rules for FIOS internet.

All I ask for is cheap internet in VA. Why isn't it possible?
$25/month for 1meg DSL. (used to be $15/month 3 yrs ago.)

 

[Ketchup]

They still have a good bit in the NE, unless that is on its way out too.

 

[DCal430]

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/05/technology/verizon-frontier/index.html?iid=SF_T_River

Frontier Communications (FTR) will acquire the phone and broadband wires from Verizon for $15B.


Wonder why Verizon is leaving the landline business?
with the FCC (probably) voting that internet is a utility, they will still be under Title II rules for FIOS internet.

All I ask for is cheap internet in VA. Why isn't it possible?
$25/month for 1meg DSL. (used to be $15/month 3 yrs ago.)

You do realize the sale includes their fios business in those areas.

 

[DCal430]

They said one of the big reason was the title 2 change. Which I think is crap, but that was a reason they gave.

 

[bbhaag]

Fuck that crap known as Frontier Communications. I have them for both home and business and they can go to hell. Don't get me started on what they charge me for my "high speed" dsl and two phone lines for my business. Business class service my ass.

 

[GeekDrew]

Wonder why Verizon is leaving the landline business?
with the FCC (probably) voting that internet is a utility, they will still be under Title II rules for FIOS internet.

All I ask for is cheap internet in VA. Why isn't it possible?
$25/month for 1meg DSL. (used to be $15/month 3 yrs ago.)

LOL @ $25/month. I pay roughly $80/month for 1.5m DSL, in Ohio. In a territory that Verizon sold to Frontier a few years ago. The price has not gone up - but it's still ridiculous.

They said one of the big reason was the title 2 change. Which I think is crap, but that was a reason they gave.

Yeah, that's bullshit. Verizon has been selling territory to Frontier for a long time. I imagine they'd use any convenient excuse.

Oh, and it's not just Verizon. Frontier just acquired some state in the NE from AT&T - I don't recall which one, though.

 

[DCal430]

It seems two be that the traditional landline companies just have had a hard time competing against the traditional cable companies. They continue to loose customers, but the cable companies are gaining new customers on their internet and digital phone system each quarter.

 

[keird]

My basic phone service is $19.64 for local calling. The Federal Subscriber Line and Access Recovery Charge is $7.35, more than a third of my actual monthly charge... because for reasons.

Edit: Looking at the FCC's new proposition regarding net neutrality, I foresee more cryptic 'federal' charges on internet service.

 

[DCal430]

LOL @ $25/month. I pay roughly $80/month for 1.5m DSL, in Ohio. In a territory that Verizon sold to Frontier a few years ago. The price has not gone up - but it's still ridiculous.



Yeah, that's bullshit. Verizon has been selling territory to Frontier for a long time. I imagine they'd use any convenient excuse.

Oh, and it's not just Verizon. Frontier just acquired some state in the NE from AT&T - I don't recall which one, though.

Why don't you get Time Warner? Isn't it available in Columbus?

 

[GeekDrew]

Why don't you get Time Warner? Isn't it available in Columbus?

I'm not actually in Columbus - I'm in a rural area not far from Columbus. TWC operates most (or all now, not sure) of the traditional cable plant, where it exists. AT&T and Frontier are the ILECs in most (but not all) of central Ohio. I'm in Frontier territory. AT&T's territory has much better DSL service (U-Verse/VDSL).

 

[Insomniator]

Haven't had a land line phone in literally 10 years, I imagine many are the same way. Unless you have a daughter on the phone all the time (during the day and on a different carrier?) a land line is pointless. Cell minutes are practically meaningless these days.

 

[jpiniero]

You have to remember that the whole purpose of FiOS was for TV service, not internet. This has more to do with cord cutting more than anything else. May as well get out while the fiber still has some value.

 

[brianmanahan]

LOL @ $25/month. I pay roughly $80/month for 1.5m DSL, in Ohio. In a territory that Verizon sold to Frontier a few years ago. The price has not gone up - but it's still ridiculous.

is that 80$ for internet/TV/everything, or just the internet?

 

[Sonikku]

LOL @ $25/month. I pay roughly $80/month for 1.5m DSL, in Ohio. In a territory that Verizon sold to Frontier a few years ago. The price has not gone up - but it's still ridiculous.



Yeah, that's bullshit. Verizon has been selling territory to Frontier for a long time. I imagine they'd use any convenient excuse.

Oh, and it's not just Verizon. Frontier just acquired some state in the NE from AT&T - I don't recall which one, though.

Total bullshit indeed. It seems to be a hobby of business to do one thing for one reason, then chalk it up to another. This is a monumental shift in their business that was hardly made on the whim. It has clearly been in motion for some time now. Just another attempt to turn the public against the only power left still fighting for their interests.

 

[drebo]

Total bullshit indeed. It seems to be a hobby of business to do one thing for one reason, then chalk it up to another. This is a monumental shift in their business that was hardly made on the whim. It has clearly been in motion for some time now. Just another attempt to turn the public against the only power left still fighting for their interests.

You think the FCC is fighting for the public's interest?

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Hmm. That was underwhelming.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

There. That's better.

 

[Markbnj]

Haven't had a land line phone in literally 10 years, I imagine many are the same way. Unless you have a daughter on the phone all the time (during the day and on a different carrier?) a land line is pointless. Cell minutes are practically meaningless these days.

Same here. I still had one landline phone in my office for four or five years because my wife hadn't quite gotten comfortable with relying on cel/skype for emergencies. But we unplugged that from Sprint five years ago.

I guess there are places where people still communicate over a twisted pair and get their news from Bryan Williams once a day, but I haven't lived in one for a long time.

 

[GeekDrew]

is that 80$ for internet/TV/everything, or just the internet?

DSL and its associated phone line, since "dry loop" is not supported here. I have the phone hooked up, but I never ever use it. I like having it around for emergencies... but I would probably consider ditching it, if it were possible.

Same here. I still had one landline phone in my office for four or five years because my wife hadn't quite gotten comfortable with relying on cel/skype for emergencies. But we unplugged that from Sprint five years ago.

TBH I'm still not very comfortable with non-POTS for emergencies. POTS will get the PSAP your address... cell will get the PSAP your GPS coordinates with varying accuracy - very frequently no more accurately than a football field in size. If you're choking or otherwise can't speak to tell them where you are, it's going to be difficult to figure out which house/apartment you're in.

 

[DCal430]

You have to remember that the whole purpose of FiOS was for TV service, not internet. This has more to do with cord cutting more than anything else. May as well get out while the fiber still has some value.

This doesn't sense, the cable companies continue to see record profit increases, as well as overall increase in customers. For each cable tv cancellation, they have 2 new internet customers signing up. Also the rate of "cord cutting" has dropped significantly as new products have been added by cable companies that people are finding attractive.