Scotia Becomes First New York Capital-District Municipality to Award TV Franchise to Verizon

Scotia, N.Y., goes to the head of the class.  That's because the Scotia Village Board Tuesday night (Oct. 12) became the first municipality in the Capital District region to approve a television franchise for Verizon, allowing the company to bring FiOS TV to the village.

The company is in the process of building and installing the necessary video equipment into local central offices in the region, and anticipates that FiOS TV service will be turned on for new customers in the Schenectady County village late in the first quarter of 2011. 

In securing a TV franchise from the Village of Scotia, Verizon has signaled its intention to bring its revolutionary FiOS TV service - delivered over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network -- into the Capital District market.  The company is continuing to develop its plans and expects to have TV franchise discussions with other municipalities in the region.

The franchise from Scotia marks the 178th TV franchise Verizon has secured in New York. 

"This marks yet another milepost in the expansion of our revolutionary FiOS TV product," said Jim Gerace, Verizon president for the New York region.  "Bringing FiOS TV to a new region demonstrates Verizon's commitment to the state in terms of investment, jobs and state-of-the-art broadband technology that leapfrogs anything currently available from other carriers.  Scotia has recognized the economic and consumer benefits of broadband investment and competition.

"This franchise agreement also clearly shows the customer demand for choice in television and entertainment services.  Our goal is to provide our current and future customers with a choice, a far superior technology for their homes and businesses, and great value for their money," he said.

Gerace also pointed out that the company has been marketing FiOS Internet and voice services in the Capital District for several years, and has gained a sizable market share.  "We want to capitalize on that investment, and offer these customers a fuller and more robust set of TV and entertainment services," he said.

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

One of the largest New York employers, with more than 29,000 employees in the state, Verizon continues to invest in the state's infrastructure by building, maintaining and enhancing its wireline and wireless networks across New York, including its advanced fiber-optic network providing consumers and businesses with reliable FiOS services for their Internet, entertainment and voice services.

FiOS TV Service Highlights

FiOS TV offers more than 520 all-digital channels, including 138 HD channels in New York, all with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound.  Customers also have access to FiOS TV's video-on-demand (VOD) service, with 18,000 monthly titles, including 3,300 in HD.  FiOS TV also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social TV, news and entertainment widgets; DVR management; multi-room DVR, and more.

More information about FiOS TV features is available at http://www22.verizon.com/residential/fiostv/overview#features.

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 35 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice service.*

Scotia joins a growing list of New York communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market.  In addition to Scotia, Verizon has been granted cable television franchises in the following municipalities:

City of New York

Long Island
Amityville, Asharoken, Atlantic Beach, Babylon, Baxter Estates, Bayville, Bellerose, Brightwaters, Cedarhurst, Centre Island, Cove Neck, East Hills, East Rockaway, East Williston, Farmingdale, Floral Park, Flower Hill, Freeport, Garden City, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Head of the Harbor, Hempstead (Town), Hempstead (Village), Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Huntington, Huntington Bay, Islip, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Grove, Lake Success, Laurel Hollow, Lawrence, Lindenhurst, Lloyd Harbor, Long Beach, Lynbrook, Malverne, Manorhaven, Massapequa Park, Mill Neck, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, Nissequogue, North Hempstead, North Hills, Northport, Old Field, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Plandome, Plandome Heights, Plandome Manor, Poquott, Port Washington North, Rockville Centre, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock, Sands Point, Sea Cliff, Smithtown, South Floral Park, Stewart Manor, The Branch, Thomaston, Valley Stream, Westbury, Williston Park

Westchester County
Ardsley, Bedford, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Buchanan, Cortlandt, Dobbs Ferry, Eastchester, Elmsford, Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Mamaroneck (Town), Mamaroneck (Village), Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, Mount Vernon, New Castle, New Rochelle, North Castle, Ossining (Town), Ossining (Village), Peekskill, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Pleasantville, Port Chester, Pound Ridge, Rye, Rye Brook, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, White Plains, Yonkers, Yorktown

Rockland County
Airmont, Chestnut Ridge, Clarkstown, Grandview-on-Hudson, Haverstraw (Town), Haverstraw (Village), Hillburn, Montebello, New Hempstead, Nyack, Orangetown, Piermont, Pomona, Ramapo, South Nyack, Spring Valley, Stony Point, Suffern, Upper Nyack, Wesley Hills, West Haverstraw

Dutchess County
Fishkill (Town), Fishkill (Village), Poughkeepsie (City), Poughkeepsie (Town), Wappinger, Wappingers Falls

Orange County
Cornwall, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Newburgh (City), Newburgh (Town)

Erie County
Amherst, Blasdell, Hamburg (Town), Hamburg (Village), Kenmore, Lackawanna, Orchard Park (Town), Orchard Park (Village), Tonawanda, West Seneca

Putnam County
Carmel, Kent

Onondaga County
Baldwinsville, Camillus (Town), Cicero, Clay, DeWitt, East Syracuse, Fayetteville, Geddes, Liverpool, Lysander, North Syracuse, Salina, Skaneateles (Town), Skaneateles (Village), Solvay, Van Buren

Cayuga County
Auburn, Fleming, Owasco, Sennett

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 92 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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