Dear Residents,
In late July the Oakland Mills Board of Directors sent a letter to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) inquiring about Verizon copper wire boxes (also know as pedestals and facilities). Our inquiry was two-fold. We asked for an explanation of how Verizon would dispose of abandoned copper wire boxes as they deploy a fiber optics network and how they will maintain broken boxes.
Upon receipt of our letter to the PSC we promptly received a response from Verizon in the form a letter from Verizon to the PSC. (Both letters are attached at the bottom of this email.)
Verizon indicated that it is not abandoning its equipment and realizes the challenge of monitoring all of the boxes and equipment. Verizon relies heavily on reports of damaged equipment from the public. We were informed that
most damaged equipment poses no risk of harm to the public and repairs are made when Verizon is made aware of the damage. Verizon did indicate that damaged equipment which poses risk of harm is treated with urgency.
Over the course of the next several months, Verizon will be conducting physical inspections of its equipment in Oakland Mills and surrounding area. Verizon welcomes input and has set up an email address for reporting broken and/or abandoned Verizon boxes/pedestals.
This is an email address for the public to report broken/abandoned Verizon equipment directly to Verizon and was set up specifically for Oakland Mills. Please make sure you include the street address where the reported equipment is located and attach a photo if possible. This is a new email reporting system for Oakland Mills residents, and and we sincerely hope that Verizon is responsive.
We were also informed that existing Verizon equipment will not be abandoned as they deploy a fiber optic system. In some cases existing equipment will be retrofitted to serve as fiber hubs.
Lastly, we are pleased that the Oakland Mills Board has been invited to the Public Service Commission Administrative meeting scheduled for August 22, 2018. The OMCA Board has authorized board member Paul Verchinski to give comments on the board's behalf. Mr. Verchinski will be thanking the PSC for their prompt and detailed response to our letter and ask that the email address for Oakland Mills be set up as a permanent email for reporting issues.
Please refer to the information provided and email [email protected] if you have questions.
Sandy Cederbaum, Village Manager on behalf of the OMCA Board of Directors
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