Verizon's FiOS TV Ranks Highest in the East Region in J.D. Power and Associates' Customer Satisfaction Study

NEW YORK - Verizon's FiOS TV, the fastest-growing all-digital TV service in America, is outperforming the competition when it comes to customer service in the East, according to new research conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

The revolutionary, new TV service has been ranked "Highest in Residential Television Service Satisfaction in the East Region," in J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Residential Television Service Satisfaction StudySM.

The region includes Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.

In the study, J.D. Power and Associates evaluated nine TV providers, a group that included cable TV companies, satellite providers and Verizon's FiOS TV.

The companies were rated on the following factors: overall satisfaction, performance and reliability, customer service, cost of service, billing, offerings and promotions.

Verizon's FiOS TV received five Power Circle Ratings - the top rating - in nearly all categories.  The complete rankings are posted at JDPower.com, the market research firm's consumer-facing Web site.

"The results of this study underscore that FiOS delivers a home-entertainment experience that the competition can't match," said Marilyn O'Connell, Verizon's chief marketing officer. "Only Verizon delivers all-digital TV over the nation's leading all-fiber network, all the way to customers' doors.  For customers, this means stunning picture-and-sound quality, more and more HD and video-on-demand choices, and innovative interactive features that go beyond the ordinary."

FiOS TV continues to grow throughout the country.  In the third quarter of 2008, 233,000 more consumers chose FiOS TV.  In areas where the service is available, nearly one out of five customers chose FiOS TV, a penetration rate of 19.7 percent.  FiOS TV is now available to more than 8.2 million homes, and growing.  By the end of 2010, Verizon expects to be offering FiOS services to 18 million homes and businesses.

In addition to the J.D. Power and Associates recognition, FiOS TV has been named to PC World's list of Best 100 Products, and a leading national consumer magazine gave its top ratings for TV service to FiOS TV.

Verizon's FiOS TV service offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, with more than 400 total channels, including a growing number of HD channels, with 100 HD channels in most markets.  FiOS TV also offers more than 11,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles each month - 8,500 are free of charge.  The VOD library also includes 1,000 HD VOD titles per month. 

FiOS TV customers also have access to Verizon's innovative Interactive Media Guide, which provides next-generation interactive services, including news and entertainment widgets, fantasy football applications, casual games, the ability to stream photos and music from your PC to your TV, and many other features.  Verizon also offers a unique Home Media DVR that allows customers to use one DVR to record standard- and high-definition programming that can then be watched on up to six other sets in the home.  This includes viewing up to three separately recorded programs simultaneously on different sets, and the ability to pause recorded programming on one set then continue watching it on another.

"The immense two-way capacity of our fiber network allows us to continually introduce interactive capabilities that give our customers richer, more robust and personalized entertainment experiences," said O'Connell.

To get a demonstration of the upgraded Interactive Media Guide, consumers can go to http://verizon.mediaseed.tv.

FiOS uses fiber optics, an advanced technology that has much more capacity than cable and is more reliable and inherently safer.  Verizon’s all-fiber network uses hair-thin strands of glass rather than copper wires to carry TV, Internet and phone signals. 

For more information, consumers can visit www.verizon.com/fiostv or call their local Verizon sales office or 888-438-3467.