U.S. Senate Democratic Leader and New York Senator Chuck Schumer wants answers from Verizon on how residents could be affected by the company’s plans to discontinue its copper-based landlines.

Verizon filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Sept. 9 to phase out Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) copper-based services. If approved by the FCC, Verizon will have the authority to discontinue services starting Nov. 30, affecting about 750,000 residents and businesses in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and seven other states. 

Schumer sent a letter to Verizon CEO Daniel Schulman on Oct. 13 with questions about how Verizon will work with customers to find alternatives.

“Will the replacement remain available during severe weather, extended power outages, cellular network congestion, many calling 911 simultaneously?,” asked Schumer in the letter. “Will Verizon certify that each proposed replacement technology is compatible with fire alarm communicators, medical alert systems, elevator emergency phones, security systems, fax machines, and other equipment currently connected to copper POTS?”

READ: Rural Residents Urge FCC to Reject Verizon’s Plan to End Copper Landlines

Verizon spokesperson Diana Alvear previously told Radio Catskill that the copper network is too old to respond to modern needs. 

“[The network] is 100-year-old aging infrastructure. It is physically deteriorating and increasingly vulnerable to things like severe weather and theft, and maintaining these old lines is becoming harder and more complicated,” said Alvear.

She urges that “nobody is being disconnected as of November 30th” and that Verizon will work with customers to find viable alternatives.

Some counties across Radio Catskill’s listening area have already weighed in. Ulster County’s Citizens Commission for Digital Inclusion launched a survey to understand how residents rely on Verizon’s telephone service and potential risks with the proposed plans.

More than 120 comments have been filed on Verizon’s FCC application from residents and businesses across the Northeast region. Director Elizabeth Potter from the Phoenicia Library in Ulster County commented that the discontinuance would severely disrupt rural services. 

“Other than landlines and smoke signals, we have no form of communication during the natural disasters to which our region is increasingly prone. We don’t even have emergency radio for our first responders,” wrote Potter. “[Phoenicia Library’s] elevator safety features require a copper landline to provide communication in the event of a power outage. If the power goes out, people can get stuck in the elevator, and the only way someone can get help is to press the call button, which must be copper wire fed as it’s the only tech that works when the power is out.

In Orange and Sullivan counties, New York Assemblymember Paula Kay will host two public forums with Verizon representatives to answer residents’ concerns and questions on Oct. 30 in Middletown and Nov. 5 in South Fallsburg.

READ: Assemblymember Kay to Host Public Forums on Verizon’s Plan to End Copper Landlines

Kay previously said in a statement that she’s had some constructive conversations with Verizon.

“Thankfully, they have shown to be willing and ready to listen. I look forward to hosting two productive meetings with Verizon where my constituents can raise their concerns directly and Verizon representatives can listen, respond, and report back, so that any potential transition can be as seamless and safe as possible for everyone involved,” said Kay.