So Just Where Is Verizon On This Whole BPL / IBEC Implementation???

Afton – Nelson County, Virgina
First thanks to those of you who have commented and sent your entries in to the BPL Modem Photo Contest. We’ve had some good ones so far, so keep them coming!

Entire post history here on BPL in Nelson County, Virginia.

I got an e-mail today from a person I consider a friend asking why we weren’t taking aim at Verizon since they are the problem, not IBEC. I agree a little with my friend. As I have said before, Verizon is Goliath in this endeavor and they aren’t playing fair. Verizon stands to lose a fair amount of money in retrospect. I don’t know for sure, but many of their managers are probably having buyer’s remorse after seeing the response IBEC has had with their pre selling of modems back in the summer. of 2008.

We last e-mailed with Harry Mitchel, the Verizon PR person for Virginia, on October 20 then again the 23rd. We were asking for a clarification on the status of two things, IBEC, and the Verizon / Alltel Wireless merger. Here’s the e-mail verbatim.

From: “info@nelsoncountylife.com”
Date: October 20, 2008 6:38:26 AM EDT
To: “Harry J. Mitchell”
Subject: Status On BPL T-1 installs in Nelson County, VA

Hi Harry,

Can you please update our original request for an answer regarding this situation?

We expected to hear something additional back on Friday and never got any information.

We don’t prefer going to corporate in NY to get these answers, but we will if necessary, we have published that information for others if they feel it necessary air their concerns over this matter.

Harry, I cannot convey how serious this situation is becoming. We are taking a very strong position on this because of the way it has been handled. I realize you are simply the messenger and you must relay what your managers tell you, but information has been one of the biggest shortcomings in this entire debacle, from both Verizon and IBEC as well. Please do not take our matter of fact position personally, as it is not meant as such.

Our company, along with others in the community feel they have been left with no other option other than to contact the FCC and the Virginia State Regulatory Commission regarding this situation to try to get something done or at least some answers. And, since this involves large federal grants to build out the system, it has become a rather convoluted ordeal.

One other question we need confirmation on while we are looking into all of this; Has Verizon’s Wireless side in fact scrapped all plans to build out their wireless network in Nelson County, Virginia? I think we pretty much know the answer is yes from what your engineering side has told property owners here, but we do need an official company response on that as well. That promised to be a good alternative broadband solution as well via wireless sites.

I understand Verizon will acquire existing Alltel sites in Nelson because of the merger, but plans to build out any additional new sites have been scraped.

Harry, again thank you in advance, and we look forward to additional details today.

Best,
Tommy

Harry did respond with the answers regarding IBEC saying that engineering was looking into it for safety issues and that was the immediate delay. That gels with what IBEC told us as well. Then on October 23rd he got back with us for a final time, never to respond since.

On Oct 23, 2008, at 6:03 PM, Mitchell, Harry J. wrote:

Tommy, et al:

In looking at the story tacked up on your site, I didn’t see your subsequent post that included my response from last Thursday.

And I did not see your e-mail from 10/20. Judging from the e-mail address, it might have hit my spam filter.

Nevertheless, I will circle back with my contacts to update you on the IBEC situation and check on your Verizon Wireless question.

I’m scheduled off tomorrow but will keep this moving.

Thanks,
Harry

We never got any additional info on the IBEC question and never got an answer on the Verizon / Alltel question.

IBEC has been dealt a pretty bad hand here, granted. But IBEC has mishandled this from the beginning as well. Communication is key in situations like this, and promise after promise broken without explanation does not build confidence by customers. Only after NCL began covering this situation in detail, almost to a nagging point, did IBEC ever respond. They still have been operating that way. Again, only after we made our “Coal In Your Stocking” entry on December 16th, did they send out a mass e-mail to customers explaining the latest. That is where IBEC and frankly CVEC both are at fault. CVEC will tell you they have nothing to do with IBEC, and “only provide the lines.” Somebody brought them here, IBEC didn’t just start hanging gear without permission.

Verizon, according to IBEC, is the cause of the latest delay, but promises the study at Martin’s store will be done this week.

“That testing will be done on Thursday, December 18. With this information, they will install isolation equipment. While much of this work could have been accomplished in the six months since the order for the T-1 lines were placed, there is a specific path that Verizon has indicated and IBEC will complete the steps along the path expeditiously. Once the engineering report is completed, Verizon has indicated they will activate the T-1 lines within 30 days.”

We like many others applaud IBEC for what they are trying. It is no small feat. As I have said time and time and time and time again, they are a nice bunch of people to deal with. But their biggest fault has been information. And planning. These engineering snafus should have been dealt with long before they went public promising BPL. The pre-sale of modems was a smart business move, no question. It gives IBEC valuable information on public interest, and much needed cash flow as the project is being built out. Much of this was unforeseen on IBEC’s part, and admittedly has not happened to them in other markets before Nelson.

Let’s hope this one last delay is……one last delay.

Meanwhile here is Verizon’s information if folks would like to wish the CEO’s office a Merry Christmas!

Ivan G. Seidenberg – Chairman and CEO
Verizon Communications, Inc
140 West St.
New York, NY 10007
(212) 395-1000