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Over the next few months, much of Verizon's phone lines in Montgomery County will switch from traditional copper to a more advanced fiber optic system, a move that has some residents worried their options for Internet, cable and phone providers will be drastically limited.

The fiber optic cables will soon blanket all of Verizon's phone lines across the country, said Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell. The high-bandwidth cables allow for faster Internet connections and more reliable phone service because the glass is not as susceptible as copper to moisture, Mitchell said.

The new cables also provide the option for residents to order the company's latest offer for Internet and TV service, the all-fiber FiOS network, which Mitchell said provides "superior" picture quality and more high-definition channels.

But some residents say they feel boxed in to choosing the more expensive FiOS service.

Takoma Park resident Mark Fisher said removing the copper cables doesn't leave him much of a choice for Internet, cable and phone providers because almost all other providers still use copper cables.

"They're jerking what I got out from under me and giving me the sole option of FiOS," he said.

Fisher said if he chooses FiOS, which will double his internet rates from $20 a month to $40 a month, his regular DSL service will be terminated along with any other services provided by copper.

He said Takoma Park listservs have been abuzz with recent talk of the switch, with people worried they'll have no choice but to choose Verizon.

"This new system is their private system now," he said of Verizon.

According to Verizon's Maryland Web site, it is the first major telecommunications company to use fiber technology on a widespread basis. In Montgomery County, copper cables are being switched to fiber this summer in Gaithersburg, Rockville and Bethesda, with areas such as Takoma Park to follow by the end of the year.

But Mitchell said residents living in areas with fiber optic cables do have a choice of providers. If a user wants to switch from FiOS to a service that uses copper, Verizon will provide the necessary copper connection to that provider, he said.

But people like Fisher aren't assuaged by that promise, especially because there are few legal regulations for the new cables.

Verizon is required by law to lease its copper cables to its competitors. However, Verizon is not required to lease the new fiber optic cables to anyone.

Mitchell stressed that Verizon is not retiring copper. They're simply making FiOS, which he said "the vast majority of consumers are clamoring for," available to customers.

Residents whose phone lines switch from copper will also be given a battery backup to place inside their home that will provide power for standard voice phone service in the case of a power outage.

But Fisher said the battery backup is a far cry from the uninterrupted phone service Verizon provided through a separate power service for outages that ran in the copper cables.

Now, customers are expected to maintain their own battery packs and purchase a new one when they run out, he said.

"All the little old ladies will have to check the battery every five years or face the option of not having a telephone when power goes out," Fisher said.

Mitchell said the packs can be purchased from most consumer electronic stores.

He also defended the company's universal switch to fiber optic cables, saying that the FiOS internet and TV services are some of Verizon's most popular products.

"We get far more queries, pleas and complaints about not offering FiOS services in a particular area [than about losing copper lines]," he said.