The break-up plan being considered by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) would require Verizon to establish separate wholesale and retail businesses in order to continue to provide phone service in the state.
The poll also found that Pennsylvanians oppose the breakup because they are satisfied with the level of competition in the market and they are happy with Verizon and the services it provides. Fully 90% of Verizon’s customers said they were satisfied with the services they received from Verizon. On the other hand, only 13% said they were satisfied with the level of competition in the cable television market.
This poll shows that the confusion, potential for higher phone bills and job losses caused by this proposed breakup are unacceptable to the people of Pennsylvania, says Dan Whelan, president of Verizon Pennsylvania. In particular, seniors are the most opposed to the proposal because they have seen the confusion and higher prices caused by previous government imposed breakups and they understand how damaging disruptions in service could be.
With 45% opposing the break-up plan and 29% either undecided or having no opinion, only 25% supported the idea.
By a 26-point margin, voters ages 35 and older oppose the Verizon breakup plan (48% oppose, 22% favor) and a majority of seniors oppose a decision to breakup Verizon (50% oppose, 22% favor).
We are proud that this poll shows our customers have such a favorable impression of us, but we know there is more work to be done, says Whelan to the media. We know that if structural separation is required by the Pennsylvania PUC, phone bills could go up, jobs could be lost and customers would be confused, making our job even harder and making Pennsylvania phone customers unhappy.
Public Opinion Strategies is one of the nation’s leading public opinion research firms and is based in Alexandria, VA, with additional offices in Denver and Los Angeles.
