Comment
I have activated VoiceLink and Verizon Wireless to replace the land line telephone and DSL service that I had prior to the storm known as Superstorm Sandy. I did this April 20, 2013 to make sure that I would have reliable 911 telephone access to emergency services. My family is often at our Fire Island home in the off-season and we need access to meregncy services when there are often few if any neighbors nearby. We do not suspend our telephone service for the winter. I understood the service and the difference between the prior telephone and DSL service and the VoiceLink and Verizon Wireless service. My experience to date is that both the Voicelink and Verizon Wireless service are inferior and less reliable. The sound quality of the VoiceLink is inferior. When I talk on the telephone I need to ask those I am speaking with to talk louder. I did not have this with the prior telephone service. I use a hardwired telephone - not a portable. I also have had the experience when I pick up the phone to make a call that there is a long delay before I hear a dial tone. Sometimes I have to re-cradle the handset and start over again. I am concerned that when the peak season starts that the telephone service will be unreliable. I have many elderly family members that stay with me and am concerned that we will not have reliable access to medical emergency personne;l should we need it. Similarly we are prone to losing our electric power in rainstorms and the 2 hour battery/36 hour back-up concerns me. The Verizon Wireless that replaces the DSL service also has reliability issues. I purchased from Verizon the best router they were recommending when they set-up their tent in Ocean Beach to help customers make the transition. I often have to restart the router to reconnect to the internet. I mention this because my concern is that the reception for Voicelink will also be subject to these same connection issues. The data speed of the Verizon Wireless is better than DSL was but the cost is significantly more. My family and I would urge the PSC to recommend that Verizon replace the damaged network with a hard wired network to ensure reliable and cost effective service. Thank you.