100 Southeastern Pennsylvania Municipalities Have Said Yes to Cable Choice and Competition
PHILADELPHIA - Verizon has reached 100, but it's not the kind of milestone that brings the usual congratulatory note from Willard Scott. Rather, it marks a major accomplishment in Verizon's two-year effort to bring a real alternative to cable television viewers in southeastern Pennsylvania - FiOS TV.
Officials of the Delaware County municipalities of Middletown and Newtown Monday night (Dec. 11) approved agreements authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV to residents, bringing to 100 the total number of franchises awarded to Verizon in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Verizon delivers FiOS TV over the nation's largest digital, all-fiber network. Only Verizon's FiOS network has earned the certification of the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way to customers' homes.
At a Dec. 4 news conference, the company announced the launch of its FiOS TV service in the region, including programming from Comcast SportsNet-Philadelphia.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, Verizon FiOS TV is available now to more than 80,000 households in parts of 35 communities in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. The company expects to reach a total of 100,000 households by the end of the year.
"The momentum to bring consumers long-overdue choice and competition for cable TV is building in Pennsylvania," said William B. Petersen, president of Verizon Pennsylvania. "Verizon's FiOS TV offers a superior alternative to the incumbent cable provider – fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network.
"We hope to bring innovation, reliability and value to more Pennsylvanians by reaching similar agreements with other communities."
Under the latest agreements, Verizon will be able to offer FiOS TV service to residents of Middletown and Newtown. In addition, the agreements require Verizon to pay the townships franchise fees based on the company's gross revenues on cable services.
In addition to Pennsylvania, Verizon currently offers FiOS TV in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Virginia. The company will make FiOS TV available in Pennsylvania markets where it has negotiated franchise agreements with local authorities.
FiOS TV offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, two dozen high-definition channels, video on demand and more. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber 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 allows the company to offer consumers and businesses high-speed FiOS Internet Service at download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 5 Mbps.* FiOS Internet Service currently is available to many consumers and small businesses in Delaware County, as well as parts of Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties.
Since Verizon began building its fiber-optic network in the Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey region, the company has placed nearly 90 million feet of fiber – enough to stretch from Philadelphia to Los Angeles and back more than three times – and created hundreds of new full-time positions to build and support the network and FiOS services. Verizon will hire hundreds of additional employees as it expands its fiber network.
Consumers can check online at www.verizon.com/pa/tv to see if FiOS TV is already available in their area, or to request that Verizon contact them when FiOS TV is available. Consumers also can call their local Verizon sales office or 1-877-4-FIOS-TV (1-877-434-6788).
* 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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