Consumers who must rely solely on Verizon for their telephone service, such as people in rural areas without cable or cellular service, might see a higher level of service quality.

In recognition that the New York State Public Service Commission's service quality regulations have not kept pace with the level of competition in the telephone market, the commission required Verizon to file a revised “Service Quality Improvement Plan,” and Verizon’s plan has been approved by the commission.

The PSC’s recent directive was to focus service quality improvements on "core" customers -- residential and business customers without competitive wireline alternatives, those on Lifeline, and those with other special needs.

The plan provides for identification of those core customers who either lack adequate access to competitive alternatives or are particularly vulnerable by reason of poverty, age, or disability; a plan for meeting timeliness-or-repair standards for such core customers; and significant streamlining of service quality reporting requirements for non-core customers.

The PSC ordered a strengthening of the plan as submitted by Verizon.

If the company fails to meet timeliness of repair performance thresholds, a show-cause order would be issued which would require Verizon to demonstrate why a penalty action should not be brought by the commission. The penalty provisions will become effective next March.

The PSC also received a report on Verizon's service quality performance, which indicated that Verizon generally met standards during the third quarter. While there was improvement in the number of customer trouble calls, the company's timeliness or repairs declined, the PSC said.