Verizon is forced to fix 15,000 “double poles” and other network problems

Enlarge / Dangling bits of old poles hanging off new poles, from a union complaint against Verizon in October 2015. (credit: CWA)

Verizon and a union representing its workers have reached a settlement requiring the company to fix thousands of problems in areas of Pennsylvania where it hasn't upgraded its copper network to fiber.

The settlement of the union's complaint "will require the company to repair and replace bad cable, defective equipment, faulty back-up batteries, and to take down 15,000 double telephone poles," the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said Friday.

Double poles occur when "Verizon has failed to move its equipment from an old pole that was replaced with a new one by another utility (e.g., the electric company)," the CWA said. "In many cases, these are dangerous conditions-poles are falling, leaning, rotting, partially cut off, etc."

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