Business

Verizon: Fiber up or die!

Some Verizon customers in the New York metro area who refuse to switch from copper wiring to fiber are being told their service will be cut off.

The phone company, in letters sent to an unknown number of homes starting in April, did not leave customers any other choice.

“If you will not permit us to perform the necessary work, we will not be able to restore your service, and we therefore will assume that you wish to cancel your Verizon service,” the letter sent to one customer read.

While the letter is signed by “Manuel Sampedro, Region President,” the number listed goes to a Verizon representative — and those who have called have been told to change to accept fiber or change providers.

Customers in Virginia, Texas and Florida are also being terminated, according to Verizon spokesman John Bonomo.

Those affected, he said, have had multiple repair requests over the last 12 months. So far, Bonomo said, just 18 customers “have elected” not to receive the fiber service and have been disconnected.

PSC documents show Verizon is the largest carrier with 3.7 million access lines, while Verizon says it has 4.2 million landline-service customers in the state.

Verizon customer John Viola from Queens says he has two lines and in the last year or so, made only one repair request on one line in early June.

The repairman who came two days later, he said, did not even try to fix it but merely tried to convince him to change to fiber.