New Yorkers plot DSL protest

Verizon prime target

By Linda Harrison in New York • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 25th January 2001 22:23 GMT

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A bunch of angry New Yorkers are plotting a protest to air grievances against Verizon and its notoriously poor DSL service.

The city's ISPs, lawyers, consultants and new media luvvies will congregate next month to try and push the phone company into improving its service.

At the meeting entitled: "Infrastructure Held Hostage: Fixing New York's DSL problems and how you can help", they also plan to draw up a "Broadband Bill of Rights". Anyone who feels that either they or their business have been "unfairly harmed in the process of getting DSL" is invited to attend.

"The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming - broadband delivery has lagged well behind the tremendous demand," the organisers state. They claim that there is general agreement that Verizon/Bell Atlantic "has been less than cooperative" in providing competitive DSL providers and ISPs "timely, accurate, and complete access to these facilities".

"Verizon/Bell Atlantic has frequently missed install appointments, erroneously disqualified locations and inadvertently disabled working circuits," the Website states.

It also alleges that all this has had a negative impact on the Big Apple's economic growth.

This is not the first time New Yorkers have taken their collective anger out on the Verizon. In October the telecoms monster agreed to fork out $1.75 million to end an inquiry into customers mysteriously getting switched to its long distance service in the city.

Meanwhile, Verizon faces a suit in Washington filed by Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll on behalf of anyone stuck with the company's DSL service.

Details of the New York meeting, taking place on February 5, can be found here. ®