Verizon strips away “naked DSL.” Is that so wrong?

Richard Weedon, an IT engineer for a large company in Richmond, moved into a new home in King George County because he could get Verizon DSL Internet service there.

Now Verizon has announced that after May 6, any new DSL customer must bundle Internet service with Verizon landline service. There will be no more stand-alone, or “naked” DSL.

Weedon and millions of other current Verizon DSL customers across the country are “grandfathered” and won’t be affected unless they decide to make changes to their service.

But he’s outraged by what he sees as a grab for cash that’s unfair to those who live in rural areas and may not have other Internet service provider options.

“This is a huge deal and one of the boldest monopoly moves by a telco in a very long time,” Weedon said.

On the Web, Verizon has been offering basic standalone DSL starting at $24.99 per month. Bundled with basic voice service, it starts at $29.99.  Call Verizon to order the service and it’s $5 more.

Many “rural Virginia residents have no choice other than Verizon,” Weedon said.  “They should not be allowed to impose this policy on customers who don’t have any choice for other Internet service.”

Some consider this a step backward because of the trend toward cheap Internet phone services such as Vonage.  About 30 percent of American homes have eliminated landline service.

 See today’s Free Lance-Star Business section for more…

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