more on Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: <david.e.young () verizon com>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 13:57:56 -0400
To: <dave () farber net>
Cc: <eric.rabe () verizon com>
Subject: Re: [IP] Verizon CEO sounds off on Wi-Fi, customer gripes


Dave, 

FYI-  Thought you and others on the IP list might be interested in this note
from Eric Rabe who was with our CEO, Ivan Seidenberg, when he was
interviewed for the San Francisco Chronicle article that was mentioned in
several postings. 

-David 

--------------------------------
David E. Young
Verizon Communications
1300 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
+1 202-515-2517  <Office>
+1 202-365-4755  <Mobile>
+1 202-336-7923  <Fax>
david.e.young () verizon com

===========================================

----- Forwarded by Eric W. Rabe/EMPL/PA/Verizon on 04/25/2005 01:41 PM -----

A recent story on Verizon from the San Francisco Chronicle has been making
the rounds of the bloggers who gleefully repeat an out of context quote from
Verizon's chairman at an editorial board meeting with the paper with a
"gotcha" enthusiasm.

I was there, and here's why what the paper wrote leaves the wrong
impression. 

CEO Ivan Seidenberg was making the point that mobile phone service was
designed to serve customers on the move - in airports, downtown areas, and
along major travel routes.  He rhetorically asked, since that's the case,
why would you expect a mobile phone to work in your home?   Bingo - quote
time. 

Left out was Ivan's point, made just as strongly, that in recent years,
customers have come to expect mobile phones to work everywhere, and that
this challenges the entire industry to expand coverage and provide service
in places never engineered for wireless phone calls in the first place.

Ivan also noted that Verizon Wireless provides the best service of the half
dozen competitors serving most cities, including San Francisco.   That
position is confirmed in customer surveys and by the movement of many
customers from competitors to Verizon Wireless.

Finally, Ivan was quick to say we work everyday to make our service work
wherever customers need it, and he pointed out that Verizon Wireless spends
billions of dollars each year to improve coverage.
       
But the April 16 story used only the most inflammatory comment in 15 minutes
or more of discussion about wireless service.  A fairer report would surely
have noted that Ivan acknowledged that wireless service is still being
deployed and that Verizon is working hard to make the service even better
than it is. 

When I wrote to the paper, the response was that space is limited, they try
to select quotes of most interest to readers and do not mean to be unfair.

I'm glad the paper didn't mean to be unfair ­ and certainly the Chronicle
chose a quote that was of "interest to readers."  But it's clear from the
buzz on the blogs that lots of people got an inaccurate impression ­ and an
unfair one ­ of the conversation.

Glad to discuss as always,

Eric 

Eric Rabe
VP, Media Relations, Verizon






------ End of Forwarded Message

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