Friday, March 21, 2014

Coalition Demands Verizon Stop Treating NJ As 2nd Class Citizens By Forcing Substandard VoiceLink Service

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, March 19th, 2013


“Don’t Hang Up On NJ” Launches Website & Petition Calling For Telecom Companies To Stop Forcing Customers Onto Unregulated/Untested/Outdated Product

(TRENTON, NJ) – Today, “Don’t Hang Up On New Jersey” – a coalition of more than 30 consumer advocates and labor/community organizations representing over one million New Jerseyans – announced a campaign demanding telecommunications giants, like Verizon, immediately stop forcing customers off traditional copper line phone service and onto a substandard, unregulated wireless product called VoiceLink. The coalition has launched a petition on their new website, calling on the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to take action and investigate VoiceLink’s feasibility for widespread residential and commercial use.

You can view – and sign – the petition at www.DontHangUpOnNJ.org/bpu-petition/

Today’s launch comes amid revelations that companies are actively cutting service lines to copper-wire landline phones and forcing customers onto wireless alternatives, rather than repairing the cables. Widespread VoiceLink deployment will have a devastating impact on New Jersey’s residents, in terms of both their safety and economic future. Seniors, the disabled, first responders and small businesses all depend upon reliable, quality, affordable phone service. And VoiceLink fails to meet any of these criteria.

The coalition also hailed the recent advancement of A2459 - a bipartisan-supported bill mandating a moratorium on forcing customers onto VoiceLink while its feasibility is considered. Last week, the bill passed the Assembly Telecommunications Committee without a single vote against it. Coalition organizers said the legislation is necessary because the BPU is failing to protect consumers and exercise its regulatory authority.

VoiceLink is an unregulated product that relies on obsolete technology that powered mobile phones over a decade ago. Essentially, it’s just a router affixed to a customer’s home or business, delivering substandard wireless service through their phone.

· If the power goes out, VoiceLink will not work unless its battery back-up is constantly filled

· Many medical devices - such as pacemakers - that require tests over phone lines are unable to be transmitted

· Credit card transactions won’t work – affecting small businesses

· Fax transmissions and deaf relay services won’t work

· Many burglar and home security systems will not work

· Network congestion could slow down 911 calls during emergencies

· Emergency calls could be routed to nearby call centers instead of the closest one, meaning precious seconds could be wasted waiting for the correct local agency to be found

While SuperStorm Sandy brought out the best in so many New Jerseyans, it brought out the very worst in Verizon. Following the hurricane, Verizon decided that rather than rebuilding infrastructure to make our communities stronger, the company would unilaterally evade long-standing consumer protection laws by cutting copper service in places it deemed repairs as too expensive. Instead, they’re forcing customers to take wireless service. Although initially sold to the public as a solution solely in Sandy-ravaged areas, Verizon executives recently admitted VoiceLink will now be deployed across the state regardless of a community’s impact from the storm. Although Mantoloking has received attention for its VoiceLink issues, Verizon executives confessed that 96% of all installations are happening outside that municipality.

To add insult to injury, while Verizon ceased VoiceLink deployment in New York and consented to build high-speed networks in Sandy-devastated areas like Fire Island, the company continues moving full-speed ahead in treating New Jersey as its VoiceLink guinea pig. At last week’s Assembly hearing, Verizon executives admitted that 25% of all VoiceLink customers in America are in New Jersey.

“Verizon is cynically using the shadow of Sandy to install VoiceLink everywhere,” said Ann Vardeman of NJ Citizen Action. “Whether or not you have access to quality communication services shouldn’t depend upon the luck of where you live, how rich your neighbors are or whether your community was harmed by the hurricane.”

“New Jersey’s seniors need access to quality services at an affordable price, and VoiceLink fails to come anywhere close to meeting those standards,” said Douglas Johnston, AARP NJ Manager of Advocacy. “We remain concerned that monitored home services, burglar alarms, medical alert services like pacemakers and communications equipment for homebound and hearing-impaired simply won’t work with VoiceLink.”

“It’s simple: if small businesses can’t communicate, they can’t stay in business,” said Corinne Horowitz, of NJ Main Street Alliance. “Many New Jersey businesses are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sandy and struggling to survive. Forcing them onto a telephone product that won’t allow them to do business could be the nail in the coffin for many of our state’s small businesses.”

“Substantial areas of New Jersey are being left out and left behind,” said Bob Master, CWA District One Legislative and Political Director. ”On the other side of the Hudson, Verizon tried forcing VoiceLink onto Fire Island customers. But following public outcry, the company committed to building a fiber optic network and install FiOS services. It’s inconceivable to me that New Jersey will allow its residents to be treated as second-class citizens. VoiceLink is merely outdated wireless technology masquerading as traditional landline service.”

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The “Don’t Hang Up On New Jersey” coalition currently consists of over thirty organizations. As more groups continue to join the cause, please continue to check www.DontHangUpOnNJ.org for updates.

For the latest news and action updates, please follow @DontHangUpNJ on Twitter and join on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DontHangUpOnNJ


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