NY Attorney General Cuomo slams Verizon service

NY ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO SLAM VERIZON SERVICE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) criticized telecommunications company Verizon Communications on Tuesday for "chronically poor" telephone repair service in the state. AG Cuomo's comments come as the No. 2 phone company is trying to convince regulators and consumers that it can offer better service than cable companies. Cuomo said he had called on the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), which regulates Verizon, to set stricter standards and require rebates for inadequate service. The PSC currently requires Verizon to repair 80 percent of phone lines within 24 hours of receiving a customer repair request, but 20 out of Verizon's 35 repair service bureaus across the state chronically failed to meet the PSC's standards, Cuomo said. In response, Verizon said the PSC had raised questions over its service in December, and that the company had already implemented a plan to boost service. But Cuomo charged that Verizon was neglecting to maintain its traditional phone service in favor of expanding its fiber-optic services. He cited inadequate service in areas including Westchester, Northern Queens, and Long Island, where Verizon is aggressively building its fiber services.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1742820020070417