Stressed by age and extreme weather, New York's vast telecommunications network uses technology from the 19th century and is limited in the type and amount of information it can bring to customers.
Due to a need for immediate and more reliable communications, a shift away from copper landlines has begun. New networks built on advanced fiber optic and wireless technologies are already being used every second of every day by millions of New Yorkers.
The challenge is finding what networks and technologies serve them the best.
Traditional landline operation in New York will not end any time soon. Traditional telecom providers such as Verizon have stated that they will continue to provide traditional service. Three factors, however, underscore the need for the telecommunications industry to begin transitioning to new technologies.
First, 100-year-old copper landline service may not be the most reliable option for consumers in parts of the state prone to storm damage. Superstorm Sandy underscored this fact.
Second, telecommunications industry analysts have been warning for some time about the industry's long-term ability to service copper-wire systems.
According to reports by the Telecommunications Industry Association, service providers experience great difficulty in securing parts needed to repair landline systems. Given the rapidly decreasing number of customers using landlines, wholesale repairs to areas impacted by storms could conceivably cost millions of dollars to reconnect a small number of households.
Third, and most important, consumer needs and lifestyles are changing. Recent surveys show more than 91 percent of American adults now have cellphones and that number is growing exponentially. By the end of 2012, approximately 40 percent of American households used only wireless phones for their voice service.
The share of households using solely traditional landline phones is expected to decrease to 25 percent by year's end. While many families still use a home phone, many families use other services from their cable or satellite or providers of so-called VoIP service.
So, this begs a few questions.Why is so much of our communications infrastructure still based on 130-year-old copper wire technology when the public is moving to more adaptive and robust technologies?Why are certain special-interest groups advocating for millions of dollars of reinvestment in traditional landlines?As New Yorkers always do, shouldn't we be looking more to the future, and building smarter?
For those customers seeking only limited voice service, some telecom companies have unveiled new wireless technologies that provide the same key services as landlines like voicemail, caller ID and E911 capabilities.
For example, Verizon introduced its Voice Link service and is already offering it to customers faced with reliability issues or damage to their landline service. We applaud the use of new technology to provide welcome relief to subscribers with chronic service issues.
Wireless and fiber optic options are not just the future, they are the current reality, and telecom companies are expected to meet that demand. These solutions have become the primary platform for any new communications infrastructure investment. Companies like Verizon are wisely investing in a way that meets current demands and is adaptable for future growth.
Landline customers should not fret over its future. Technologies have continued to evolve and have brought new opportunities for consumers. Making strategic investments in our infrastructure by supporting the efforts of our telecommunication companies as they install new networks will only encourage the development of new technologies that will meet the next generation of communication needs.
Heather C. Briccetti is president and CEO of the New York State Business Council.