Fair warning to FairPoint

FAIR WARNING TO FAIRPOINT
[SOURCE: Reformer.com]
[Commentary] When we heard the news in January that Verizon wanted to sell off its land line operations in northern New England to FairPoint Communications, we admit it was cause for rejoicing. It seemed then that any potential owner would be an improvement over Verizon. Only 60 percent of Verizon's 1.5 million customers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have access to broadband Internet service -- a level of service that the telecommunications industry newsletter, DSL Prime, recently called one of the lowest broadband access rates in the developed world. But as bad as Verizon has been, there is growing doubt about whether the North Carolina-based FairPoint can live up to the promises it has been making. The $2.175 billion deal, which still needs the approval of state regulators in all three states, would transfer all of Verizon's northern New England land line assets and its 3,000 employees to FairPoint. Is FairPoint strong enough to take over for Verizon? FairPoint has committed to beating Verizon's promise to extend DSL (basic high-speed Internet technology) to at least 80 percent of Vermont by 2010. With the recent passage of a bill in the Vermont Legislature requiring 100 percent access by 2010, can FairPoint deliver? The future economic and social well-being of Vermont is going to rely heavily upon high-speed Internet service being universally available in every corner of the state. If FairPoint does no better than Verizon in living up to this standard, Vermonters will be stuck in a telecommunications backwater for years to come.
http://www.reformer.com/editorials/ci_5924560