Please give me your advice.

1) I have made monthly payments to Verizon (and its predecessors)
   for 54 years for 617-489-1043.

2) I have purchased DSL Broadband Internet service from earthlink.net
   for perhaps 15 years, provided through copper wire 617-489-1043
   which I wish to keep.

3) For several years Verizon representatives have been urging me
   to switch to fibre-optic telephone and fibre-optic internet service
   which is not available from earthlink.net

4) The present telephone connection is very unreliable.
   In light rainstorms, the dial tone is preserved, but incoming
   calls are blocked with a busy signal.
   In heavy rainstorms, the dial tone also is lost.
   The DSL connection has (generally) been unaffected.

5) Obviously when I have no dial tone, I can't telephone to report
   outages. The computer "chat" program does not respond to requests
   for repairs.

6) I understand that the existing copper line:
   a) is very old
   b) is constituted of paperwrapped wires ensheathed in leaden conduits
   c) that Verizon will not replace the ancient connections with modern
      plastic sheathed cable.
   d) that Verizon plans to take the copper lines out of service.
   e) that the FCC has before it numerous complaints concerning Verizon's
      practices, against which it has taken no action

7) I am concerned that any serices I purchase from you will give Verizon
   cause to disconnect the copper line and deprive me of the DSL service
   on which I rely.

8) Please give me advice.

Ernst J. Meyer
174 School Street
Belmont MA 02178
617-489-1043
ernstmeyer@earthlink.net