Last chance for FairPoint e-mail switch is now

If you’re a FairPoint Communications Internet customer and still haven’t changed your e-mail address from the old Verizon domain, this is the weekend to do it.
The final “cutover” from the old Verizon computer systems began at midnight and is expected to last 10 days.

The company says customers shouldn’t notice any changes in their DSL or telephone service during the ten-day transition. But e-mail addresses ending in “verizon.net” need to be switched to “myfairpoint.net.”

You should have received an email from FairPoint explaining how to make the switch. But if you’ve deleted it, go to www.fairpoint.com and click on “Frequently Asked Questions” for a set of instructions.

Once you make the switch, your e-mail history will be moved over to the new address. Email sent to the “verizon.net” address will be automatically forwarded for 90 days. After that, it will bounce.

>>FariPoint Watch<< The only other expected impact on customers during the cutover period is some delay in requests to add or remove services. FairPoint will still take those requests but won’t complete them until at least Feb. 9, when the cutover officially ends. The company will still respond to repair calls. The cutover from Verizon to FairPoint computer systems comes two years after the more than $2 billion sale was announced. Verizon decided it wanted to leave the landline business in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont and sell to little-known Charlotte, N.C.-based FairPoint. The deal was approved by utilities regulators in all three states in early 2008 after a long and contentious battle. This cutover severs FairPoint’s last tie with Verizon. All of Verizon’s customer data, about 2 million access lines in three states - including names, addresses, billing history and payment information - will be transferred to FairPoint’s computer systems. The cutover has been twice delayed due to its complexity. FairPoint felt it was not yet ready both in September and November. But FairPoint spokeswoman Jill Wurm said Friday some of the systems, including operator services and directory assistance, were moved ahead of schedule this week and the transition was smooth. “These processes are already handled in-house, and that went well,” Wurm said.