In a move that has the Internet yelling a collective “you suck!” at Verizon, the major ISP announced late last week that effective May 6, 2012, all new subscribers to its “high speed Internet service” will be required to bundle their broadband with local voice service.
This marks an aggressive power play by the Internet giant, aimed exclusively towards profits and not towards customer service or satisfaction.
Instead of loosening its grip on its “loyal Verizon customers” (per their letter’s heading) and providing more choice and affordability, Verizon decided to add restrictions and make it even harder to avoid the higher fees that comes through adding a service one doesn’t even want. “New” customers not only refers to new people adding Verizon Internet, but also includes those who want to change their Internet service, and those who move their service from one address to another. This ensures that sooner or later, every Verizon customer will not only have Verizon Internet service, but also have the required local voice package, a lucrative revenue source.
In addition, studies show that this isn’t even a service most people even need. According to a 2011 study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, the amount of households that ditch landlines and be cell phone exclusive could reach 40 to 50 percent of all U.S. homes by 2013. Verizon is thus forcing a service this is not only old, but is on its way to being extinct.
This is a great move to make a quick buck, but not the way we would have done things. Click here to find out more about our Internet cooperative, which offers a stark contrast to what the big guys are trying to force upon us.