The complaints from New York's Fire Island consumers have moved Verizon Communications Inc to replace its storm damaged copper phone line system with fiber optics instead of wireless service. Thus, the telecommunications giant would offer its Fire Island client base three options, namely a wireless Voice Link service, a FiOS Internet and voice connection or a fiber optic based phone plan.
This decision is considered as a setback for Verizon, which was using the incident as a high-profile test case. The company was trying to establish itself by saying it would replace its old copper phone lines with wireless service instead of the more expensive fiber optic line system.
According to Verizon's head of national operations support Tom Maguire, "We listened to people and looked at different options. Fire Island is very unique. It's portrayed as a Mayberry RFD. But what we discovered is that it's a Mayberry RFD with an insatiable appetite for the Internet." He compared Fire Island with the small town setting of 'The Andy Griffith Show'.
The disconnection of the copper lines were called out by community groups, reviewed by regulators and even became an issue with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
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