Verizon said today it will not impose a supplier surcharge on its DSL service, as originally planned. The telecom service provider had come under fire from customers and the Federal Communications Commission for implementing the new charge rather than reduce the cost of its service following the FCC's decision not to impose Universal Service Fund fees on high-speed Internet access service.

"We have listened to our customers," said Bob Ingalls, chief marketing officer of Verizon Telecom, “and are eliminating this charge in response to their concerns.”

The fee was to be imposed by Verizon Online on customers who didn't subscribe to Verizon telephone service along with its DSL offering, to cover what is known as “naked DSL” charges.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was among those upset by Verizon's decision to impose the new fee at the same time that the USF surcharge was being dropped. Both Verizon and BellSouth -- which changed its fee plan last week -- came under criticism for not passing long the savings to their customers of the USF change.

Earlier today one outraged customer had set up a Web site to enable other consumers to lodge protests with the FCC.

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