Home phone line repairs slowed

HOME PHONE LINE REPAIRS SLOWED
[SOURCE: USAToday 10/29, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
As phone companies spend billions on souped-up broadband and wireless services, they're struggling with basic home phone line repairs. Several states have imposed or recommended huge fines against Verizon, Qwest and AT&T for forcing customers to wait for repairs. Behind the trend is a shift of money away from shrinking landline businesses, say telecommunications analysts and worker representatives. "The money is going into the newer networks," says Debbie Goldman, research economist for the Communications Workers of America. The average wait for land-line repairs for all phone companies rose 5.1% a year from 2000 to 2005, the latest data available, says the Federal Communications Commission.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2007-10-28-phone-repairs_N.htm