SULLIVAN COUNTY/NORTHEAST REGION — A recent proposal by Verizon to discontinue copper-based landline telephone service in New York and several nearby states is prompting questions from residents and local officials, particularly in rural areas where traditional landlines continue to be used for emergency communication and other services.

Earlier last month, Verizon filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requesting permission to discontinue its copper-based Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) across New York State. The application also covers Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Connecticut and Massachusetts, including both Frontier- and Verizon-branded businesses.

Under the requested timeline, the company could begin shutting off landline service as soon as Nov. 30. While the FCC has not yet issued a public notice accepting the application, the public will have a 15-day window to submit comments once the notice is issued.

According to Verizon, however, the proposed transition would not mean customers simply lose their telephone service. The company says it is seeking authority to discontinue copper-based POTS for customers who have access to an FCC-approved replacement service, such as fiber or wireless service.

Verizon also says it will not discontinue existing copper voice service until an approved replacement is available at the customer’s location. The company says replacement options could include fiber-optic service, a wireless option that allows customers to continue using their existing phones, VoIP and other wireless services.

The company has described the proposal as part of a broader effort to modernize its network, citing the age and maintenance requirements of copper infrastructure. Verizon says transitioning customers to newer technologies will allow it to invest in more modern networks while reducing the need to maintain parallel copper infrastructure.

Locally, some residents have raised questions about whether reliable alternatives will be available before existing landline service is discontinued.

On Sept. 21, a responsive comment letter filed with the FCC by Neversink residents David Brittenham and Carolyn Summers noted that broadband alternatives in Sullivan and Ulster counties are not yet fully realized. The Sullivan County Broadband Network, being built by Archtop Fiber through a combination of fiber and fixed wireless, is not scheduled to be completed until the end of this year and, even then, will not initially reach the entire county.

“We have relied on our POTS landline at our Neversink home for many years,” their letter states. “Even today, there is no effective and reliable alternative telephone service available.  We do have Verizon wireless mobile cell phones, but there is no coverage inside our house, or anywhere nearby outdoors.”

The letter also cites the Ulster County broadband network being built by Verizon, which is similarly expected to be completed around the end of the year. The letter argues that Verizon should not begin locally discontinuing landline service until those broadband networks are operational and customer hookups are complete.

Emergency communications are also among the questions being raised. NY-19 Congressman Josh Riley has sought information from Verizon regarding residents who rely on landlines to call 911 or operate medical monitoring and alert devices. Traditional copper landlines can also continue operating during power outages, an issue Riley noted is particularly relevant in rural areas where outages can last for days.

Riley requested that Verizon identify affected customers and locations, detail what alternative services would be available at each location and explain how the company would ensure those alternatives are operational before existing service is discontinued.

Assemblywoman Paula Kay also addressed the proposal, noting that cell service gaps exist throughout Upstate New York and that landlines remain in use in areas with inconsistent cellular coverage. Kay said she would monitor the situation while looking for alternatives for residents without reliable cell service.

Additionally, she plans to hold two public forums this fall regarding the proposed discontinuation, with Verizon representatives and information about Sullivan County’s broadband project.

The first will take place Oct. 30 at Middletown City Hall, with the second scheduled for Nov. 5 at South Fallsburg’s Terry Brae Golf Course. Registration is not required for either event.

The FCC proceeding is docketed as 26-252, and comments can be submitted electronically through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System.