FairPoint ready to flip the switch in Northern New England

FairPoint will make the big switch with Verizon Jan. 30. The company will take charge of around two million access lines in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, a process expected to take more than two weeks due to the billing system transition.

Twice delayed, the cutover from Verizon to FairPoint computer systems is the most complex part of the transition, and it marks the end of a two-year road fighting heated union opposition and appeasing regulators in three states. Critics worry that the company has taken on more debt than it can pay back and regulators have imposed strict conditions on the company.

Currently, Fairpoint is renting operational hardware from Verizon at a cost of $16 million per month. FairPoint expects to save $10 million a month once it switches over to its own systems, a task the company has delayed twice from an original September target to allow for more time to prepare and train employees.

Once the switch is complete, FairPoint will be free from Verizon restrictions imposed by using its computer systems. The company will be able to offer bundled packages and other promotions for new customers. In addition, the company is in the process of rolling out TV service in a trial market.

With the recession impacting operations, FairPoint hopes to bring in new revenue with its new TV service and DSL expansion across the region.

For more:
- Milford News article about the move.

Related articles
FairPoint plans IPTV pilot in Portsmouth - FierceIPTV
FairPoint-Verizon network cutover proceeds - FierceTelecom