The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today heard a report from Staff of the Department of Public Service (Staff) regarding Verizon New York Inc. (Verizon) compliance with certain service quality metrics for wireline telephone service during the first quarter of 2013.

Staff reported that Verizon did not comply with the Commission’s Service Quality Improvement Plan (SQIP) Out-of-Service Troubles Lasting Greater than 24 Hours repair metric in the New York City area for January, February and March 2013. 

Under its SQIP, if, among other things, Verizon falls below certain levels of performance, a penalty action is to be commenced by the Commission in the amount of $100,000 per monthly failure to meet a required service quality performance metric.

Verizon acknowledged its failure to comply with the Commission’s SQIP Out-of-Service Troubles Lasting Greater than 24 Hours repair metric during the months of January, February, March, as well as April 2013 and, consequently, consented to pay $400,000 in lieu of further Commission action. 

A revised Service Quality Improvement Plan framework was implemented by the Commission in December 2010 (Case 10-C-0202). That decision required Verizon to focus additional attention on its service quality efforts for core customers (i.e., customers lacking competitive wireline alternatives, are Lifeline customers, or have special needs). Verizon is the largest telephone company in New York State with approximately 3.7 million access lines.