More Than 1 Million Households in California Now Have Access to Verizon's All-Fiber-Optic FiOS TV Service

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - In just over three years, Verizon has made choice and competition in TV service a possibility for more than 1 million households in California, via the nation's most advanced all-fiber-optic network.

Verizon now offers FiOS TV, as well as FiOS Internet services, in 83 cities throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

"This milestone is a cause for celebration," said Kathy Koelle, Verizon's vice president, marketing.  "Through our aggressive expansion of our all-fiber network, FiOS TV is now available to more than 1 million households in California. Verizon is bringing a better network to homes in these communities and more choice for home entertainment.

"FiOS is not just an alternative to traditional cable service, it's a better alternative," Koelle said. "Thanks to the higher bandwidth of our all-fiber network, FiOS delivers superior picture quality, greater content selection and faster Internet speeds than our competitors offer."

Verizon launched FiOS TV in California in Beaumont in February 2006 and has been increasing the availability of the service by an average of 26,000 homes per month since then.  In 2007, California enacted a new law that shifted the franchise authority to the state, which streamlined the franchising process and enabled Verizon to expand FiOS TV availability to more communities.

"The foresight of our state Legislature and the diligence of our Public Utilities Commission have opened the cable TV marketplace to competition in California," said Tim McCallion, president of Verizon's West region. "As legislators envisioned when they passed the state-issued franchising law, video choice is a reality in California, and companies like Verizon are investing millions of dollars to create new networks to offer innovative services to their customers."

Verizon is continuing to expand the availability of FiOS TV throughout Southern California as it continues construction of the all-fiber network. Last year alone, Verizon invested more than $715 million to expand and enhance its fiber-optic and copper networks in the state.

In its quarterly earnings report released April 27, Verizon reported 2.2 million FiOS TV customers nationwide, making it the seventh-largest TV content provider in the U.S.

Verizon's FiOS Services

Verizon FiOS TV now provides more than 600 channels of programming, including 114 channels of high-definition (HD) television channels in California, delivering the ultimate high-definition home-entertainment experience. 

FiOS TV also delivers 14,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles per month, 70 percent of which are free. In addition, the VOD library includes more than 1,300 HD VOD titles per month.

Verizon is the only major telecom company whose network has earned the certification of the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way to customers' homes.

FiOS Internet service offers consumers online access with connection speeds of up to 50 Mbps* (megabits per second).  At 50 Mbps, downloading a 1.2 GB (gigabyte), or 90-minute, standard-definition movie takes approximately 3.2 minutes.  Upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps make it a snap to share purchased videos and files over Verizon's large-scale fiber-optic network that extends all the way to customers' homes or small and medium-sized businesses.

Verizon's FiOS Internet service was named the top pick last year's PCMag.com readers' survey and also was named a winner in PC World Magazine's annual list of 100 Best Products.  It was the second year in a row the broadband service was named to both lists. A recent independent national rating of bundles ranked a package of Verizon FiOS with voice, Internet and TV service as the best in the industry.

"Consumers and small businesses that use FiOS services experience unprecedented reliability, quality and Internet speeds, and stunning visual clarity - all of which makes their online and television experience second to none," Koelle said.

FiOS is an easy, affordable technology upgrade that provides value to homeowners.   Packages of FiOS Internet, FiOS TV and Verizon Freedom unlimited local and long-distance calling services are available starting at under $100 a month.  New customers who order a FiOS service bundle by June 20 can experience and even greater value with a current promotion that offers up to $150 back in the form of a prepaid card, a two-year price guarantee, and premium installation at no extra cost by a specially trained technician who sets up a powerful home network from start to finish.  For details of the promotion, visit http://www.verizon.com/ultimateupgrade.

* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.