[BULK] Verizon exiting California

Mon Aug 3 17:09:22 UTC 2015

I ran a few Google searches and came across a trove of complaints against Frontier. Seems they are far worse than GTE/Verizon. On the few occasions I have called for FIOS support, always reached someone knowledgeable and helpful. Not looking forward to the changeover, as the new owners have to pay off debts from their acquisition. That can only be accomplished through rate increases. I see a Verizon tech outside my kitchen window every two to three days as he replaces two nitrogen tanks keeping copper trunks pressurized against water intrusion.

matthew black
california state university, long beach

-----Original Message-----
From: NANOG [mailto:nanog-bounces at nanog.org] On Behalf Of Mike
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2015 7:33 AM
To: nanog at nanog.org
Subject: Re: [BULK] Verizon exiting California

On 07/31/2015 06:27 AM, Mike Hammett wrote:
> Can anyone else back that up (or refute it)?
>
>

I am a CLEC operating in California west, and I collocate with verizon. 
Yes, Verizon is proposing to sell it's wireline assets to Frontier and 
become effectively an all-wireless carrier.

Frontier is going to get a patchwork of ancient switches and poorly 
maintained outside plant, in rural areas that would require tens of 
millions of dollars in upgrades for sparely populaed areas it could 
never turn a profit on. I seriously wonder about the viability of taking 
on the debt to get those areas and even just maintain them, vz itself 
has done a very poor job and it presently operates a network where E911 
routinely fails along with pots for many, for weeks at a time. And 
somehow, Verizon has been allowed to skate along without being held to 
the fire for it's mandated utility / carrier of last resort obligations.

I worry that Frontier, with all the new added debt obligations, will not 
able to swallow this pill.

Mike-