It seems the early FiOS subscribers are discovering they are tethered to glass. A wire service article making the rounds last week noted that Verizon is routinely cutting the copper on households opting for FiOS fiber-optic service. Folks were fired up over losing the option of going back to cheaper DSL service.
Verizon responded that it provided repeated warnings that there was no turning back after taking FiOS, including a written notification on the website. A notification is, indeed, on the site, 460 words into the collapsible 40 percent grayscale, 7-point print disclaimer: "Current Verizon Online High Speed Internet customers who move to FiOS Internet service will have their Verizon Online High Speed Internet permanently disabled after their FiOS conversion."
In Verizon's defense, it makes no business sense for the company to maintain dormant wires, particularly given the booming price of copper. However, in an article subsequent to the wire story, a Verizon rep said the copper was not removed, but merely disconnected, and could be reconnected if "a customer insists."
For more:
- George Ou comments on the FiOS dynamics here
- Verizon tells North Texans they can go back to copper here