Lexington, Kentucky  3/01/01

On February 19, 2001 DSL Kentucky, Inc., a subsidiary of WebTick, Inc., a Lexington based ISP and provider of broadband services filed a civil lawsuit against Verizon Advanced Services, Inc., one of the largest local telephone providers in the U.S.

DSL Kentucky alleges that Verizon has engaged in an intentional course of conduct including, but not limited to, predatory pricing, intentional failure to provide adequate service, theft of customers and prospective customers, unfair competition, anti-competitive pricing, discriminatory terms and activities, and other acts intended to restrain the ability of DSL Kentucky to compete fairly in the marketplace. The lawsuit further states that the actions of Verizon are a violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and that they were intentional, willful and malicious.

DSL Kentucky has been an affiliated wholesale partner with Verizon since February of 2000. DSL Kentucky. s main mission according to Richard Lancaster, President and CEO, is to provide the best service possible to our customers at the lowest price. This cannot be achieved with the current crisis in service that the DSL industry is experiencing because of the sub-standard service and monopolistic attitude Verizon is showing toward all ISP' s.  Problems with DSL installations, long waits for service, lost orders, scarce feedback about pending orders, slamming of customers, and numerous billing mistakes are just the tip of the iceberg according to Richard Lancaster.

The 1996 Telecommunications Act made it clear that the major Telecommunication Companies were supposed to open up their networks to competition. Ignoring the criteria set forth by the Telecommunications Act has clearly been the intent by Verizon and the major Telcos.  

This lawsuit is a wake-up call for Verizon and the industry. It is time they are held accountable to all ISPs and especially the consumer. Someone has to stand up now for the consumer before the DSL situation explodes totally out of control, stated Richard Lancaster.  Our company is an affiliated wholesale provider for Verizon. They sell to us at a supposedly wholesale rate but yet turn around and sell to the public at a lower rate than they sell to us.  All we are asking for is a fair playing field and professional service for our customers.