Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has taken another step towards reaching its goal to transition 200,000 copper customers onto fiber this year, saying in an FCC filing that it had transitioned 60 retail POTS (plain old telephone service) voice customers onto fiber in Pennsylvania.
The service provider notified the FCC that it had replaced copper distribution and loop facilities with FTTH facilities at a few locations in its Market Street, Pa., central office (CO).
Similar to a recent copper to fiber transition it made in New York City, the telco will continue to provide its traditional POTS voice service over the fiber network.
Verizon said at these address locations it serves about 60 retail customers, "the majority of whom purchase" POTS. After the transition is complete, Verizon will continue to offer the same voice service, including similar features and functionalities, over fiber at a similar or lower price than they got over the existing copper facilities.
While the transition at this CO is not a migration to its IP-based FiOS service, Verizon could potentially offer its broadband and TV services if customers in this transition asked for such services. It will also offer next-gen fiber services to wholesale CLEC customers if they need access into locations that this CO serves.
Transitioning customers from copper to fiber has been anything but easy. One customer in Virginia who wanted to retain his copper POTS line was threatened with having his service cut off completely if he did not agree to switch to fiber.
Verizon won't release its second quarter earnings until next week, but it will likely highlight the amount of customers it has transitioned from copper to fiber. In the first quarter of 2015, Verizon migrated 47,000 customers off of copper and onto fiber, helping it come closer to reaching its 2015 goal of 200,000 conversions for the year. It is also in the process of decommissioning ten COs.
For more:
- see the FCC filing (.pdf)
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