When Verizon replaces copper with fiber, the investment gets booked as a capital asset, which doesn't count against profits. But any operational savings achieved by that will goose short term profits. So if Verizon is focused only on goosing short term profits, as you claim, they'd replace all the copper with fiber!
More generally, Verizon is legally required to keep serving the places it already served with copper. If it could save money by switching that with fiber, they'd do it. You're accusing a money-grubbing big corporation of leaving billions of dollars on the table each year.
They would. Except they can get even more profit by investing in wireless. So again, typical conflict of interests. Removing it could help.
Their execs indeed have no clue how to mange landline business or they simply don't care about it. Their whole background is wireless and they are trying to get rid of landline (selling it off).
Seidenberg was landline man through and through. He cared about improving it and moving it forward. McAdam has no clue about it and doesn't care.
> So Verizon is too incompetent to make money on wireline so it's looking to sell it.
Yes, or rather they aren't interested in getting that competence, because they are too focused on wireless.
> And Google isn't chomping at the bit to buy it because?
Google might at some point. They can have different reasons to wait. For instance Verizon are still obligated to build out in some areas. Or Google want to avoid dealing with unions and such.
More generally, Verizon is legally required to keep serving the places it already served with copper. If it could save money by switching that with fiber, they'd do it. You're accusing a money-grubbing big corporation of leaving billions of dollars on the table each year.