Verizon to Upgrade Sandy-Damaged Wireline Network

Verizon Communications is replacing copper wire damaged by superstorm Sandy with fiber-optic cable, a move that allows the company to sell more services to customers.

The accelerated installation of fiber cable in storm-damaged areas lowers the maintenance costs for the company while providing an almost instant increase in revenue from customers, Verizon Chief Executive Lowell McAdam said. Verizon is aiming to transfer as many services as possible off of older, slower copper lines and onto its faster FiOS network, where it wants to improve its scale. "When we convert someone over, they almost always take the double play off the bat," he said, referring to a bundling of two of the companies services that include phone, TV and Internet.