(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - Verizon, one of the largest Internet Service Providers in the United States, has quietly canceled installations and repairs for customers as a precaution "to keep our Employees and customers safe" due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to a Business Insider report. 

Several people have written on Twitter that their in-person visits from Verizon Technicians have been canceled and others say they're being told appointments for installations are not available until November.  Verizon’s webpage for Coronavirus-related FAQs said Technicians "would not be able to enter your home or business to install new services or to do repair work."  The company’s website was later changed to say that Verizon was "minimizing" in-home installation work.  A Verizon spokesperson told Business Insider the company was limiting in-home visits "to medical emergencies and critical installations."

Verizon provides Fios, broadband and voice services to an estimated 25 million residences and 5.8 million businesses. 

Here in Western New York, hundreds of Union Verizon Installation Techs represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are now concentrating on servicing First Responders and Front-Line Operations - such as Police Agencies, Fire Houses and Government Agencies, CWA Local 1122 President John Mudie tells WNYLaborToday.com.

“There are ‘more than’ (300) of our Techs ‘out there doing their job.’  Verizon ‘has provided all necessary’ PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to them, including masks, gloves and hand sanitizer.  ‘There’s also a lot of anxiety out there,’ but the company and our Members are following CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines.  (Verizon) ‘has been very good with all of this,’” Mudie said.

Many other CWA-represented Verizon Workers are also being allowed to work out of their homes and are servicing work tickets provided to them by the company over computers that have specific and protective passwords” so no customer information is exposed,” he said.

Internet access at home has become an essential service for hundreds of millions of people who are working remotely, taking classes on-line, and spending more time at home amid lockdown orders and shelter-in-place directives to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 “Verizon is telling their customers (who need service or are looking to upgrade to high-speed internet) ‘that they will be serviced, but at a later date.’  ‘It will get done, but not right now,’” Mudie said.  

Verizon is one of the dozens of internet and telecom providers who’ve pledged to keep customers connected amid the pandemic by declining to terminate service to those who can't pay, waiving late fees, and opening up WiFi hotspots.

Verizon customer Michael Barbour told Business Insider he received a text message from Verizon canceling his installation appointment the day before it was scheduled.  It did not provide any further information about how he could get his internet up and running. 

"Out of an abundance of caution related to COVID-19 and for the safety of our customers and employees, Verizon has suspended new installation work at this time," the text message read. "We will reach out to reschedule at a later date."

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