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January 15, 2009

FairPoint readies for switch

By Carol Coultas

FairPoint Communications is alerting business customers that there will be a delay in processing service requests as the North Carolina-based company completes its final phase of acquiring Verizon's landline operation.

Fairpoint intends to begin switching from the Verizon systems to its own Jan. 31. According to CEO Eugene Johnson, FairPoint will not be able to handle requests for new services, options or installations until the transition is complete, which he expects will take between six and seven days. "We're asking everyone to be patient, we anticipate there will be delays," Johnson told Mainebiz.

FairPoint is switching from 600 Verizon data systems now operating in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to 60 FairPoint systems. The transition involves billing, back-office operations, customer service and internal administrative functions. Johnson said no one should lose their telephone or E-911 service through the transition, but only emergency service requests will be handled during that time.

FairPoint expects to save about one-third of the $16 million per month it was paying Verizon to use its systems through the acquisition process. FairPoint purchased Verizon's landline operation last year for $2.7 billion.

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