On Mon, 2 Oct 2006 14:52:03 +0000 (UTC), "Steven J. Sobol"
<sjsobol@JustThe.net> wrote:

>In article <dDXTg.77184$lk6.32678@tornado.southeast.rr.com> , rocxspam wrote:
>
>> No experience directly(no FIOS available in Durham, NC as yet). I was
>> referring to what I read in one of the FIOS threads on dslreports. It
>> seems a number of posters complained about the loss of copper landline
>> reliability during power outages - the FIOS service is dependent on
>> external power, and the UPS provided by Verizon (not in all cases it
>> seems, depending on the local policy?) only maintains continuous power
>> for about 4 hours. I have gone several days without power (ice storm,
>> hurricane Fran in '96), but the landline kept working most of that time
>> - very reassuring.
>
>Verizon WILL remove your copper PERMANENTLY if you don't tell them not to
>do so. This comes from a friend of mine who was a telco consultant for
>decades... and also is a FiOS customer.
>
>He told them "don't do it" and they didn't do it.
>
>Verizon would also very much like to remove the copper because it is
>regulated and the fiber isn't.

The only thing that was removed from my house was the copper line from
the outside wire to my house and the old phone connection box also on
the outside. Seems easily replacable. The copper wire was replaced
with the fiber optic. All lines inside my house remain copper
including my cable wires.

Aside from the fact that a power outage may affect my landline service
with fiber optic I don't see the real disadvantage to it. In my case I
am getting better service for less money.