Elmsford, N.Y., Consumers One Step Closer to Real Choice for Cable TV

ELMSFORD, N.Y. -- Residents of this Westchester County village are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television services, thanks to a recently approved agreement authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service.  The board of trustees in Elmsford voted unanimously Monday night (Jan. 22) to approve a video franchise for Verizon.

"This is great news for residents of Elmsford, who now have a new choice for their video entertainment," said Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president for New York and Connecticut.  "Choice and competition drive innovation, value and service quality, and we will continue to compete for New York consumers' communications, broadband and video business with our FiOS services."

Elmsford joins a growing list of New York communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market.  In addition to Elmsford, Verizon has been granted video franchises by 25 other communities, including the Town of Greenburgh and the villages of Irvington, Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Tarrytown, Eastchester and Mount Kisco in Westchester County.  Verizon has also received video franchises from the Rockland County communities of Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack, Grandview-on-Hudson and Clarkstown, and on Long Island in the villages of Massapequa Park, Cedarhurst, Laurel Hollow, Lynbrook, Mineola, East Rockaway, Farmingdale, Valley Stream and Freeport, and the towns of Huntington, Smithtown, Hempstead and Oyster Bay.

As with all local franchise approvals in New York, the agreement between Verizon and Elmsford is subject to review by the New York State Public Service Commission.

In addition to New York, Verizon currently offers FiOS TV in parts of California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Maryland.  Nationally, the company has video franchises covering approximately 5 million households in 10 states and more than 260 franchise areas.

Verizon's FiOS TV is a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming, more than 20 high-definition (HD) channels, and access to approximately 4,000 on-demand titles, 60 percent of which are free.  It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability.  Only Verizon's FTTP network has earned the certification of the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way to customers' homes and businesses.

Verizon's fiber network delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen.  In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps, as well as high quality voice service.*

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a New York-based Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 57 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks, and Verizon Telecom, which is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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