Connect NY Petition to Investigate Verizon NY

Petition by Connect New York Coalition  to Investigate Verizon New York’s Financials and Business Practices, based, in part, on New Networks’ Research.

On  July 1, 2014, a new group,  Connect New York Coalition, filed a Petition with the New York State Public Service Commission to do a formal investigation of Verizon New York.

Read the Petition: http://www.scribd.com/doc/232125660/Connect-New-York-Coalition-Petition
Coalition members: http://teletruth.org/docs/ConnectNewYorkCoalition.pdf

“15 major consumer and labor organizations and a bi-partisan group of 69 elected officials announced today the formation of the Connect New York Coalition, a major new effort to reverse the decline in telephone service and ensure high-quality advanced telecommunications services for all New Yorkers. They filed a formal Petition with the Public Service Commission seeking a complete and public review of New York’s telephone and telecommunications systems.”

The Connect New York Coalition  petition “asks for a formal proceeding with evidence-gathering and cross-examination of witnesses”, and asks the following questions, among others:

•    How much do providers invest in the legacy, fiber optic and wireless systems?
•    What are the actual costs and revenues for each system and what are the rates of return?
•    What is the current level of service quality in all systems and how is it measured?
•    Does competition exist?

The Petition is based, in part,  on New Networks’ continuing research.  For a summary of the most recent report, written for Public Utility Law Project (with the assistance of David Bergmann)  and why this investigation was necessary see:

http://newnetworks.com/publicnnrelease/

Some of the Connect NY Coalition’s questions have been addressed by New Networks’ team of experts, auditors and lawyers in our reports and research.

  • In May 2014,  Public Utility Law Project, (PULP) published  “It’s all Interconnected”, written by New Networks (with assistance by David Bergmann) and it relied on unexamined data from Verizon New York using different Verizon supplied financials books.
  •   http://newnetworks.com/verizonfiostitle2/
  •  In 2010, New Networks  started an investigation of the financial books of  five Verizon’s state-based utility phone companies,  including Verizon New York and Verizon New Jersey  and  the ties to Verizon Communications affiliate companies, (subsidiaries) including Verizon Wireless, Verizon Online, Verizon Services, among others.
  • Published in 2012,  http://www.newnetworks.com/Verizonshellgame2012.pdf
  • In 2013, our next report focused on Verizon New York and was the centerpiece of a filing by Common Cause, Consumer Union, CWA, and the Fire Island Association, which called for an investigation of Verizon’s financials and business practices.
  • http://newnetworks.com/verizon-wireless-affiliates-harming-verizon-wireline-customers/