Wednesday, February 27, 2008

No Fair Point, No More

Well, it looks like it's all over but the shouting. Despite well organized opposition, the Fair Point-Verizon deal is going through.

Ashley Smith does a tremendous job recapping the whole long sordid tale in a folksy Q & A article for the Nashua Telegraph : In case you haven't heard, it's official: Verizon is leaving the landline and DSL business in New Hampshire. Barring a successful appeal, the name FairPoint Communications will soon appear on your telephone bill. Read on...

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the citizens and businesses of Northern New England remains to be seen. Wither FiOS? Is DSL going to be good enough? But at least we know the process worked. This deal was thoroughly vetted in all 3 states. And the unions made their voices heard loud and clear; in their opposition to the deal, the Communications Workers Union and the IBEW scored at least a moral victory.

No doubt this will be a major topic of conversation at the Regional Broadband Forums being hosted around the state by NH DRED. “These forums are of vital importance in determining where our opportunities, needs, challenges and obstacles lie in terms of telecommunications infrastructure,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Director Michael Vlacich.

For times and locations, visit DRED's newsroom.

I wish I could attend this Friday morning's session at Pease, but I have at least 2 meeting schedule conflicts. Hopefully someone will catch me up?

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