CWA Urges Virginia Regulators to Keep Oversight of Verizon

CWA has called on the Virginia State Corporation Commission to continue to fulfill its obligations to Virginia telephone customers by rejecting Verizon's request for total deregulation of basic voice and other services.

In a filing submitted to the SCC, the union pointed out that in its petition, Verizon exaggerated the current level of competition for basic voice services to residential and small business customers in the state, particularly for those in rural areas and lower-income markets.

The filing reported findings of a panel of CWA technicians who work at Verizon locations in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Lynchburg, Falls Church and Roanoke who cited Verizon's failure to maintain the existing copper network and the service problems resulting from the lack of preventive maintenance.  Customers are experiencing deteriorating service because of the company's focus on fiber optic service, CWA said.  At the same time, Verizon is not building its next-generation fiber networks in most communities in the state, the filing noted.

"There is a continuing need, especially in this transitional environment, for regulatory oversight" that ensures that all Virginians have access to affordable, quality voice telephone service and not be left stranded on a deteriorating copper network, CWA said.
 
Earlier, CWA locals successfully mobilized support to uphold the governor's veto of a bill Verizon pushed to eliminate regulatory oversight of the sale of telephone access lines.