Rep. Josh Riley has asked Verizon to delay any planned shutdown of copper landline service in his New York congressional district until the company identifies affected customers and proves they have working alternatives, particularly for emergencies and power outages.
In a Sept. 30 letter to Verizon CEO Dan Schulman, the Democrat said residents in rural areas may rely on traditional phone lines to call 911, use medical-alert devices and stay connected when other networks are unavailable. He requested a written response by 5 p.m. Oct. 15. His office released the letter Monday.
Verizon applied to the Federal Communications Commission on Sept. 9 to discontinue traditional copper-based voice service in parts of New York and other states, with changes proposed no earlier than Nov. 30 and subject to regulatory approval. Nov. 30 is not a confirmed shutdown date for every customer. Riley's letter does not identify the specific communities or number of customers in the 19th Congressional District who could be affected; he asked Verizon for that information by county.
Questions about alternatives and costs
Riley asked the company to identify available replacement service for each affected customer and explain how it has verified that service works at the address. He also sought a commitment that no line would be disconnected before a working alternative is confirmed, and an explanation of what would happen where none exists.
The letter asks whether customers would face higher rates or pay for equipment, installation or setup. It also seeks details on how replacement service would work during outages and preserve 911 access, and whether Verizon will consult customers, emergency managers and local governments or hold public meetings. Riley asked the company to justify the proposed timeline heading into winter and the holidays.
"For many Upstate New Yorkers, discontinuing copper landline service would mean losing the only phone service they can count on," Riley said in a statement. That assessment has not been quantified for his district in the material his office released.
On its copper-service update page, Verizon says it will not disconnect a customer's existing copper voice service unless an FCC-approved replacement is available at that location. The company says alternatives may include fiber or wireless-based home phone service, and that emergency calls will continue to work over its newer networks. Verizon argues that maintaining aging copper lines takes resources away from network upgrades. Riley is seeking address-level evidence behind those assurances and details about outages and customer costs.
The FCC filing remains a request for permission; Riley's letter does not establish that service has already been discontinued in any Finger Lakes community. Customers who receive a Verizon transition notice should check their own stated timeline and available options rather than assume the proposed Nov. 30 date applies to them.
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