FCC approves Verizon / Fairpoint sale against wishes of three states

Today the FCC approved the sale of Verizon’s New England operation in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine to Fairpoint, a financially unstable company based in North Carolina. Citizens of all three states have been in an uproar over this for months, fighting it tooth and nail. They have been backed by their governments as well, as each state formed committees to supposedly determine whether the sale would get approved.

Today the FCC sent a clear message that it doesn’t care about consumers needs or state’s wishes by going around the state committees and citizen panels and approving the sale without so much as a by-your-leave. Verizon was in the process of upgrading much of the area to its FIOS network, and there is no word yet on if that upgrade will continue or if towns like the one I live in will be left without FIOS while the surrounding towns had it completed in time.

There is much concern about whether or not Fairpoint will be able to handle the area financially. New England may be rural and have fewer homes and businesses to service on paper, but it has some of the most intense weather in the United States. If a huge company like Verizon has trouble keeping our phone and internet services active in the often inclement weather with their huge support network and financial cushion, how will a minor league player like Fairpoint keep up? My guess is they won’t, and that New England will be forced to go to rival Comcast, an alternative that pleases no one as they are known for shoddy customer service and poor line quality around New England.

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