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Tag: verizon-voip

  • Verizon Challenged on their VoIP Shift


    A consumer advocacy group has recently challenged Verizon for forcing their customers to shift to VoIP and wireless services from the traditional telephone services. The complaint was filed by The Utility Reform Network (TURN).

    It is alleged that Verizon is ignoring repair and maintenance of its copper network as a means of forcing its customers to migrate to the Voice over IP or the wireless services. In doing this the communications company is going contrary to the state and federal laws that require them to provide telephone services to the residents of California. According to TURNs research director Regina Costa, the thing that makes this situation worse is the fact that most of these shifts and migrations are done without the knowledge of the customers.

    However according to Verizon, the company’s main aim is to provide their customers with the best services they can across all their platforms, be it the traditional telephone services or the latest technological platforms. They also said that they would look into the complaint they have received and will respond accordingly.

    The complain TURN filled was as a result of the complains it received from Verizon  customers  who were moved to VoIP without their consent and  the fact that VoIP did not have the same regulations as other  services making it less secure. It has been noted that VoIP does not function during power shortages, and cannot be linked to other services like fax, medical systems among others.

    This just comes after the federal Communications Commission allowed communication carriers the change to run trials to shift customers to IP networks. They are now examining the implications such a shift might have on the customers. As for now TURN wants FCC to order Verizon to repair the copper networks.

  • Verizon’s IP VoIP Interconnection Game


    With the recent signing of IP VoIP interconnection terms by Verizon and four other new service provider, competitor have raised concerns about the non-disclosure agreement they are required to sign. This agreement gives the four service providers an opportunity to access Verizon’s IP Interconnection union which will provide a nationwide accord with other service providers that want to exchange VoIP traffic.

    Although the signing of this agreement brings out Verizon’s spirit of teamwork, many competitors are worried that as a result of the non-disclosure agreement, they will not be able to seek regulatory help in cases of unreasonable terms by the Telco. These non-disclosure agreements put the competitors at a disadvantage in instances where they are seeking interconnection.

    A similar incident occurred in Michigan between AT&T and Sprint. Later a decision that required carriers to wait for the FCC to negotiate interconnection terms was overruled by Michigan’s public Utility commission. In this case ,Sprint IP interconnections  for transmission of telephone calls was to be provided by AT&T, the same way AT&T provided for itself, its affiliates and third parties. Interestingly Verizon commented that the PUC’s decision would disrupt the progress made in the industry. In Massachusetts, the Department of Telecommunication and Cable is trying to find out if it has the authority to regulate the IP VoIP interconnection agreement between Comcast and Verizon.

    Recently a Joint Task Force has been established with the aim of finding a specification that will enable all North American service providers to establish IP communications, network to network interface arrangements that they can all support and implement. It is thus evident that large telecoms need to play fair with their competitor and that this argument is nowhere near complete.