Some landlords blocking post-Sandy repairs [telecom]

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By PATRICK McGEEHAN

Rewiring all of Lower Manhattan with fiber-optic cable after Hurricane Sandy would be hard enough without landlords blocking the way with their palms open. But that is what Verizon alleges some are doing.

Verizon, whose copper wires under the streets of the financial district were ruined by the storm's floodwaters, complained last week that "many building owners in Lower Manhattan" had barred their doors. Some have simply refused to let the company in, but others have demanded exorbitant fees for access, the company said in a petition to state regulators.