A new settlement requires Verizon to replace bad cable, defective equipment, and faulty back-up batteries - and to take down
64,000 double telephone poles or pole stumps.By Karl Bode
A half-decade ago, Verizon executives decided they'd try and convert a stodgy old telecom monopoly into a sexy new advertising juggernaut. To accomplish this goal, Verizon bought both AOL and Yahoo, mashed them together into a new brand named Oath, and promised to challenge Google and Facebook's dominance of online advertising.
But Verizon's clumsy pivot has resulted in millions of frustrated DSL customers up and down the east coast who say Verizon's fascination with video advertising has resulted in a systemic neglect of its core businesses.