FACT Sheet: Verizon Massachusetts Fiber Optic Failure

FACT SHEET

Verizon Massachusetts Fiber Optic Failure, 1994-2020

1994: Verizon Massachusetts files with the Mass Department of Public Utilities to have fiber optic services, to replace the existing copper wires. The included colleges and universities, hospitals, as well as 330,000 residence and businesses.

1994: This same plan was also filed with the FCC known as “Video Dialtone”, and claimed the majority of the entire state would be finished by 2010.

“NYNEX proposes to deploy hybrid fiber optic and coaxial (HFC) broadband networks that will provide advanced voice, data, and video services, including interactive video entertainment, multimedia education and health care services… “NYNEX plans to deploy this type of network to the majority of its customers by the year 2010.”

1995: Verizon filed and was granted “alternative regulations”, which gave the company

1999: In New Networks institute filed a complaint in Massachusetts outlining how Verizon (then New England Telephone) convinced regulators that they would rewire the state starting in 1995 if the company got massive financial incentives – Deregulation — the removal of regulation that examined and limited their profits. The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy, never acted on our complaint.

2005: Verizon announces FiOS and gets some municipality franchises for cable TV

2007: We presented testimony in front of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Telecommunications Utilities and Energy.

2010: Verizon announces it is halting the fiber optic deployments in all states.

2013: New Networks Institute presents letter to the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Proposed Telecommunications Bill, H2930  November 1, 2013

2016:  Bait and Switch: Verizon announced it would be upgrading 100% of Boston and spend $300 million dollars.  Instead, most of this has been a bait and switch to use the fiber optic wires that should go to homes to instead roll out wireless, and 5G Wireless.

2017: We also wrote a full report of analysis to show how Verizon MA had been manipulating the financial books, which was based on using manipulated accounting formulas that were controlled by the FCC

Report 7: SUMMARY REPORT: Verizon Massachusetts & Boston: Investigate the Wireless-Wireline Bait-n-Switch, January 17th, 2017.

2019-2020:  This became part of our challenge of the FCC in April 2019, IRREGULATORS v FCC; On March 13, 2020, had a big win in that the state is now independent to go after billions of dollars in cross-subsidies and the dumping of corporate expenses into Local Service.

We documented the story in articles in Huff Post and Medium.