Promises Fulfilled Again: Verizon Pennsylvania's Infrastructure Development
19 November 2002
By Dr. William Taylor with Charles Zarkadas
In 1994 the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved an alternative regulatory plan (ARP) filed by Verizon Pennsylvania (then Bell Atlantic-Pennsylvania). A portion of the ARP included the Network Modernization Plan (NMP). Created in accordance with state legislation, the NMP sets forth technology and service commitments designed to ensure the deployment of an advanced telecommunications network throughout Pennsylvania by 2015. In November 2002, NERA performed an independent review of Verizon's progress toward this goal. NERA's review, titled "Promises Fulfilled Again: Verizon Pennsylvania's Infrastructure Development," is available for download below.
According to biennial updates from the Company, our experts found that Verizon Pennsylvania has done an exemplary job of creating and maintaining an advanced network infrastructure in Pennsylvania by meeting or exceeding a number of its technology commitments, in the process of modernizing its signaling system, switches, and interoffice facilities. The Company has also made broadband facilities available to 100% of all health care facilities, public schools and industrial parks located in its servicing area.
NERA also critically reviewed several interim milestones included in Verizon Pennsylvania's NMP as part of its commitment to make broadband transmission facilities available to 100% of its rural, suburban and urban customers by 2015. The report found that, by the end of 1999, Verizon had surpassed 30% availability for its entire serving territory (up from the 20% benchmark for 1998). In addition, the company has already exceeded its 2004 commitment level for urban and suburban consumers (reaching 78% and 57%, respectively, in 2001 vs. the 50% 2004 target), and remains on track to reach its 50% commitment for rural consumers by 2004.
Relying on publicly available data, our experts compared Verizon Pennsylvania's overall broadband infrastructure development to that of 47 other states in regards to placement of new technology, and found that Verizon's performance as of 2001 ranked as fifth best in the country. Based on these analyses, NERA concluded that there is no doubt about Verizon's commitment to place and maintain a modern and efficient infrastructure in Pennsylvania.
