The communication infrastructure nearly collapsed in plush Manhattan in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Verizon’s (News - Alert) three month- long reconstruction initiative gave the lower Manhattan an improved fiber optic backbone network, strong enough to help the city withstand for decades, more such jolts from nature.

With the deadly storm destroying Verizon’s copper cables that served businesses and residences in the area south of Worth Street, from the East River to the Hudson River, the company decided to replace them with fiber-optic instillations.

With a fiber-optic backbone network now in place in lower Manhattan, Verizon has successfully restored voice and high-speed data services in more than 90 percent of the office and commercial space. In a news statement, Verizon said in its efforts to bring advanced fiber to several affected buildings, the company has worked in conjunction with the building management companies in charge of power, construction and other infrastructure repairs.  

Verizon acknowledged the cooperation it received from the authority and the officials through various stages of the project. In implementing the project, the company reportedly maintained strong coordination with New York City officials, community boards, the New York State Public Service Commission, various real estate and commerce agencies, and downtown residents.

Talks are going on with realty companies, so that Verizon’s fiber service could be brought onto upper tenant floors in some of the office and residential buildings in the area. 

The company revealed the details of it Sandy Response Project at a panel discussion, hosted by the Federal Communications Commission, at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House, 1 Bowling Green, in lower Manhattan. The discussion provided a complete picture of how the company proceeded step by step to give a complete infrastructure transformation to this extremely important New York neighborhood.

“Block-by-block, building-by-building, we are completely transforming the infrastructure of this vibrant and key part of New York City. This dramatic a transformation effort in just three short months is unprecedented, and we have done an incredible amount of work in a very short amount of time to get our customers up and running as soon as possible. There is much more work to do, but when we are done our customers in lower Manhattan will have one of the most advanced communications networks in the world,” senior vice president of global operations for Verizon Enterprise Solutions Martin Burvill, noted in a statement.

It deserves special mention that the company reportedly provided alternate communications solutions, free of charge, to thousands of small businesses and residential customers in the area and elsewhere around the metro area.

The first of nine electronics recycling rallies to be held at Verizon facilities around the country this year kicked off on Thursday (Jan. 24) at the company's Temple Terrace facility on E. Telecom Parkway. Similar events held by Verizon in 2012 collected more than 531,000 pounds of e-waste, about the equivalent weight of 14 charter buses, that was recycled and kept out of landfills.