New York Attorney General, Consumer Groups Call for Verizon, Telecom Industry Investigation

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is calling for a formal investigation of telecommunications corporations in the state, including Verizon, "to fully understand the impact of deregulation on consumers and businesses" in a letter to the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC).

Elected officials and community members also have been speaking out on how the corporations are serving their areas, in particular Verizon, at public hearings that the NYPSC has been holding across New York State. Adding Schneiderman's voice and the prestige of his office is a validation to what mayors from across the state and members of the public have been telling the NYPSC: Verizon is abandoning its traditional landline network while refusing to build FiOS in their cities.

Read more here.

The NYPSC public hearings and the reports that come out afterward aren't enough, Schneiderman said. A formal proceeding in front of an administrative judge "provides for evidence-gathering, allows for cross-examination and counter-evidence, and concludes with a final order or decision by the PSC," he wrote in the letter. Such a proceeding could develop facts on the issues that are being raised at the hearings:

• whether there is adequate competition for broadband service throughout the various regions of New York State, and whether there are any areas that are still essentially cable monopolies;
• whether telecommunications companies are making honest representations about infrastructure build-out;
• whether consumers are satisfied with the various voice service options available to New York consumers; and
• whether Verizon is adequately upgrading or repairing its copper wire infrastructure, which is especially critical for New Yorkers who rely solely on landline service (in the absence of other voice options).

Read the letter here.