I can only venture to guess that there was a time in some areas where Verizon was using contractors for new FiOS installations and they weren't permitted to go that far. As you know, they are often instructed to sabotage, or otherwise render useless, any existing copper once the cutover is complete.

My stepson was an installer for at&t in Georgia for a few years and he did a lot of their UVerse installations. He told me that there were union and non-union areas of the outside plant. The union people would install the drop to the house and then the contractors could come in to finish the installation. The poles and pedestals were 100% hands-off for the installers.

Another possible reason for what you've observed could just be attributed to ridiculously-tight time allowances for installations. There just isn't enough time allotted to climb up the pole and properly remove the drop. They just cut it at ground level and run to the next installation.

Then there's always the possibility of people just being lazy.

Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX