The Vermont Public Service Board has granted the state’s petition for an investigation into FairPoint Communications’ persistent service problems.
Earlier this week, the Public Service Department asked the quasi-judicial board to look into delays in residential land line repairs and the circumstances surrounding a loss of Emergency 911 service in Vermont last Friday.
The board will hold a pre-hearing conference in Montpelier on Tuesday, December 9.
The department’s request came as complaints about telephone repair delays spiked in the wake of an ongoing October 17 strike by FairPoint’s unionized workers.
The department says the company has long failed to meet a metric requiring that repairs be made within 24 hours, but the situation worsened after the strike.
Friday’s E-911 system outage occurred as a result of a damage to a fiber optic line caused by a fallen tree, and an equipment failure. As a result, both the primary and backup E-911 circuits were disrupted for hours.
After taking testimony on the problems, the board could require FairPoint to take specific steps to resolve the problem. It could also fine the company.