Re: Can Verizon Cheap Telephone Service Plans to Bundled Subscribers?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Bruce Kushnick" <bruce () newnetworks com>
Date: February 18, 2009 2:02:56 AM EST
To: <dave () farber net>
Subject: RE: [IP] Can Verizon Cheap Telephone Service Plans to Bundled  
Subscribers?

Dave,

This whole discussion shows just how corrupt the entire telecom world  
has become ---

Verizon today, doesn’t offer stand alone DSL/internet to customers ---
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/HighSpeedInternet/Plans/Plans.htm

So, there is no way of knowing from this discussion how much it would  
actually cost for a) stand alone DSL today, and b) whether it makes  
any sense to get a some discounted phone service ---

This ‘bundling’ is a joke as I would assume stand alone is charging a  
premium for NOT have local service in the first place so the total may  
actually be what a discounted package – local and broadband would be  
anyway ---

Next, if they did offer stand alone DSL, a customer could just get  
Skype or something for Free and not have to worry about this entire  
local service boondoggle. --- but that, of course, is the reason  
Verizon or Time Warner don’t offer broadband/internet only, right?

Also, just look at the caveats --- the prices are based on new service  
and a 2 year contral and the discount have a termination fee and it  
doesn’t increase taxes and charges – if someone has stand alone DSL,  
are they also charged, for example, and FCC line charge – at $6.50

Offers available to new Verizon High Speed Internet residential  
customers. Installation of new service and a one or two-year agreement  
required. Price Guarantee plans require a two-year agreement and  
include a $99 early termination fee. Price Guarantee applies to base  
internet rate and is void if changes are made to the service plan or  
Verizon discontinues DSL service to your location. Not valid with  
bundle offers. $79 early termination fee applies to one-year  
agreements. Rate may increase after 1-year term. One-time shipping and  
activation fee of $19.99 applies. Additional charges, taxes and terms  
apply. Offers end 2/21/09.

Finally, was Verizon required to sell stand alone service? _-- You Bet  
– Again, a total failure of the Merger conditions ---  Verizon-MCI  
merger  --- It states 3 years – that would be November 2008 – IT NEVER  
HAPPENED! ---

ADSL Service
1. Within twelve months of the Merger Closing Date, Verizon will  
deploy and offer stand-alone
ADSL within the local service areas of Verizon’s incumbent local  
telephone companies. Standalone
ADSL means ADSL service on ADSL-equipped lines without requiring  
customers to also
purchase circuit switched voice grade telephone service. This service  
will be available both for
existing Verizon voice and ADSL customers who wish to port their voice  
service to a VoIP
provider or to another facilities-based provider such as cable or  
wireless, and for new customers
who wish to subscribe only to Verizon's ADSL and not to its voice  
service. This service will
remain available in a given state for two years after the  
“implementation date” in that state. For
purposes of this condition, the “implementation date” for a state  
shall be the date that Verizon can
offer this service on eighty percent of Verizon’s ADSL- equipped lines  
in Verizon's local service
area in that state. Within twenty days after meeting the  
implementation date in a state,
Verizon/MCI will file a letter with the Commission certifying to that  
effect. In any event, this
commitment will terminate no later than three years from the Merger  
Closing Date. ---

Applications for Approval of Transfer of Control
WC Docket No. 05-75
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
Adopted: October 31, 2005 Released: November 17, 2005







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