Raymond S. Burton

I happened to take a look at the New Hampshire Executive Council map the other day and noticed something very telling. The shape of my district — District One — resembles the “We’re Number One” foam finger so common among fans at football games. And it’s so true of us here in the North Country. We are number one. The pending FairPoint Communications/Verizon transaction bears this out.

As the Executive Councilor for District One (yes, we are number one even in official designation), I represent 98 towns and four cities in five of our state’s ten counties. While a high-priority need for my constituents is access to advanced communications technology, Verizon has made it clear it has no plans to invest in the North Country.

But we could be a number one priority if FairPoint were New Hampshire’s telephone company, instead of Verizon. FairPoint wants to serve New Hampshire, and particularly the North Country. FairPoint has built its business and its reputation by providing advanced services, such as DSL and broadband, to rural areas and small cities in 18 states, and some 90-percent of its customers have high-speed Internet access.

Before the North Country and the rest of the state can get access to broadband technologies, however, our state regulators must approve the transaction. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) must allow Verizon to bow out gracefully and hand the reins to FairPoint. Maine regulators have just done so, and an agreement has been reached with the Vermont Department of Public Service that clears the way for final approvals there. New Hampshire is at risk of being left behind if regulators here don’t act.

Our PUC has before it the same settlement agreement Maine regulators accepted. The agreement addresses concerns about FairPoint’s debt load following the transaction, that is, whether FairPoint will have the cash on hand to make the investments in technology infrastructure and new service availability it has promised. The Maine settlement, which would be applied in New Hampshire if our regulators agree, provides the financial restructuring needed to ensure that District One and all of New Hampshire will receive the DSL service and other advanced technologies the company has promised.

FairPoint remains poised to invest nearly $14-million in building advanced communications infrastructure in New Hampshire. In addition to retaining existing Verizon employees with their current pay, benefits and pensions, FairPoint plans to create 250 new jobs in the state — jobs we dearly need. They don’t plan to raise customer prices, but they do plan to establish at least two of their three northern New England operations centers in New Hampshire.

FairPoint is a company that wants to serve as New Hampshire’s telephone company. It is my belief that they have demonstrated the financial rigor, network planning and commitment to earn that honor. New Hampshire state regulators, like their colleagues in Maine and Vermont, need to act expeditiously to approve the Verizon/FairPoint transaction. One way to ensure District One continues to be number one is having a phone company dedicated to delivering the North Country advanced communications.

(Republican District 1 Executive Councilor Ray Burton of Bath has served the northern two-thirds of the state since 1981.)