The New York state Assembly voted 87-23 on Friday in support of a bill that would establish a moratorium on telephone corporations on the replacement of landline telephone service with a wireless system. The moratorium would be in place until June 1, 2014.

The bill would not affect Verizon’s proposal to abandon its wireline service in the western portion of Fire Island that was damaged during Hurricane Sandy last year, and instead offer customers its Voice Link service, but would require a comprehensive review of the Fire Island project before Verizon is allowed to utilize the wireless service in other parts of the state.

The Public Service Commission last month conditionally approved Verizon’s proposal to replace its damaged wirelines with a wireless service, but said review is necessary before the company will be allowed to expand Voice Link to other parts of the state. The commission is accepting comment until July 2 on whether Verizon should be allowed to install Voice Link elsewhere (05/16/13).

According to AB 7635, which is sponsored by Assemblyman James Brennan (D., District 44), the one-year moratorium would allow the PSC sufficient time to review a report to be submitted by Verizon, Inc., and to issue its findings and conclusions on the report and on other related questions to the governor and Legislature. The bill would require the commission to issue, by April 1, 2014, its findings in response to Verizon’s report describing its actions and experiences of replacing landline telephones with a wireless alternative on Fire Island. Verizon is required to submit to the PSC by Nov. 1 a report regarding usage of Voice Link on Fire Island.

“It is the statutory duty and responsibility of the PSC to investigate and approve any actions taken by telephone corporations that impact the quality and adequacy of service,” according to the bill. “This bill will require PSC to investigate and report on the many complex issues raised by Verizon’s plans to replace landlines with wireless.”

The bill specifies that it would not prevent a telephone company from replacing a landline system with a wireless one for any customer who knowingly agrees to the replacement, or the PSC from approving the provision of wireless service in an emergency.

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