Verizon Fights to Keep Its Landline Customers

VERIZON FIGHTS TO KEEP ITS LANDLINE CUSTOMERS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dionne Searcey dionne.searcey@wsj.com]
As cable competitors and other Internet companies are entering the phone business, Verizon is fighting back with new high-tech services. At the same time, the New York-based company is trying to prevent phone customers from disconnecting landline service in favor of wireless or Internet-based phone service. Verizon Chief Financial Officer Doreen Toben said in an interview she hopes to stem the losses with promotions for new packages of services that include landline service. The company also has put in place a new program for customers with second homes in Florida and along the shores of Long Island and New Jersey in hopes of ensuring they maintain landlines in their main homes when they go away. Verizon also plans to reach out to customers who have reported trouble with their lines more than twice to attempt to stop them from dropping their service in frustration.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117793378297186809.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace
(requires subscription)
* AT&T gives Net phone service a new push
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070501/3b_attvoip01.art.htm