The City’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee is holding a public hearing on the cable franchise on May 20, 2008. A vote is expected on May 27.

After a few additional approvals within the city, and confirmation by the New York State Public Service Commission, Verizon could be positioned to offer FiOS TV to our first New York City customers later this year.

If you live in New York City and would like to have your voice heard in support of cable TV choice, now is the time to act.

Verizon has set up a website, http://www.nytvchoice.com, where you can send a message to your borough president and other officials asking them to support the Verizon franchise.

Why is this good for New York? In short:

• No one has made this extensive a commitment to the City of New York, its infrastructure, or its people. The cable companies haven’t.
• We will deploy thousands of miles of fiber optic cable across the city to get the job done in an unprecedented six years. The cable companies haven’t.
• The FiOS network will provide choice in cable TV service providers, the economic boost the city needs to grow jobs, and will ensure that future-proof fiber optic delivered broadband and television is available to all city residents, across all five boroughs.  The cable companies haven’t. 

Wiring New York City with FiOS is an historic undertaking, and this cable franchise approval process is just as unique. So we’re looking to a unique tool (and effort) to help bring cable choice

to the more than three million households in the Big Apple.

[Click here to see how FiOS is delivered to a NYC apartment.]

He asks (spurred on by Scott Brandner) if Verizon only offers symmetrical service where there are two or more competitors. 

The answer is, we offer symmetrical service to every FiOS customer. 20/20Mbps in six states (NY, CT, MA, NJ, FL, RI) and 15/15 everywhere else.

For the record, catch how Doc describes his choice of provider (he has four wires to choose from) and why:

“Since Verizon offers the best Internet deal — 20Mb symmetrical service — we go with them. (And yes, it rocks. Worse, it spoils. I only upload large numbers of photos when I’m home. And they all go up in seconds or minutes.)”

We’ve submitted a proposal to city officials and are awaiting a green-light to provide FiOS TV, and hope to begin offering it later this year.  (Another hurdle was cleared yesterday).

Binging FiOS to the many residents living in the high-rise apartments can be a challenge. You’d think, anyway.  This raw b-roll video shows how we’ve met the task and are ready to deliver the future of communications today. 

As of March 31, 2008:

• Verizon passes 10.4 million homes and businesses with its fiber optic network, FiOS.
• FiOS Internet: We added 262,000 new customers in Q108, with a total now of 1.8 million who are getting up to 50 Mbps downstream and up to 20 Mbps upstream.
• During the quarter we added about 4,100 new FiOS internet customers per day.
• FiOS TV, is now available to 6.5 million premises and added 263,000 new FiOS TV customers at a rate in the quarter also of 4,100 per day. 
• Total FiOS TV: 1.2 million customers.

We expect to continue passing 3 million new premises a year through 2010, when the company expects to have passed 18 million premises, or more than half the homes it serves. 

FiOS FACT SHEET

Verizon is the only major U.S. telecom company building an advanced, all-digital fiber-optic network, on a mass scale, all the way to customers’ homes. 

Where is Verizon Deploying its Fiber Network?

·        At the end of March 2008, Verizon had passed about 10.4 million homes and businesses in parts of 17 states. With the sale of Verizon assets in New Hampshire March 31 to Fair Point Communications, fiber-to-the-home construction continues in 16 states.  

·        Verizon expects to continue passing some 3 million new premises annually through 2010, when the company expects to have passed about 18 million homes, or over half the homes it serves.

·        Verizon has leveraged the versatility and capacity of the fiber network by introducing in 2007 industry-leading synchronous downstream and upstream data rates of up to 20 Megabits per second (Mbps), helping customers engage innovative broadband and video online activities and transfer large files more quickly and efficiently.

·        Verizon is investing nearly $23 billion in the FiOS project, between 2004 and 2010.  Over the same period, the company expects to save billions of dollars because of the avoided maintenance costs and other savings associated with the new fiber plant.

What Broadband Products is Verizon Delivering on its All-Fiber Network?

·        At the end of March 2008, Verizon was marketing its industry-leading, high-speed FiOS Internet service – with downstream speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upstream speeds of up to 20 Mbps – to 7.9 million customers in over 2,000 communities in 17 states.   As of March 31, with the sale of New Hampshire assets to Fair Point Communications, FiOS Internet continues to sell well in 16 states.

·        As of March 31, 2008, Verizon had more than 1.8 million FiOS Internet customers, an increase of 262,000 during the first quarter of 2008 – or about 4,100 new FiOS Internet customers every business day at an average penetration rate of 23 percent.

·        Verizon expects to attract some 6 million FiOS Internet customers by year-end 2010 – a penetration rate of more than 35 percent.

·        For more information on products and pricing, go to: http://www.verizon.com/fiberoptics.

What Video Products is Verizon Delivering on its All-Fiber Network?

·        At the end of March 2008, Verizon’s all-digital FiOS TV service was available to about 6.5 million premises in 13 of the states where the company is building FTTP:  California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

·        As of March 31, 2008, Verizon had 1.2 million FiOS TV customers and in January 2008 signed up its one-millionth FiOS TV customer, just 28 months after launching the service.  During just the first quarter of 2008, Verizon added a net of 263,000 new FiOS TV customers -- or about 4,100 new customers every business day. 

·        Verizon's FiOS TV delivers hundreds of digital video and music channels, high-definition programming, the nation’s largest collection of video-on-demand content, a robust interactive media guide and other advanced features.  Verizon will deliver some 150 channels in High Definition by year-end.

·        Verizon expects to attract at least 4 million FiOS TV customers by 2010, which would be a market penetration of at least 25 percent.

·        In April 2008, Verizon filed an application for a New York City franchise, covering 3.1 million homes, many of them multiple dwelling units. Verizon’s all-fiber network already passes about 20 percent of these homes. TV service sales could begin later this year.

April 28, 2008

It’s a good spot and is now running on a TV near you. On a related note, I also got my hands on some of the raw footage shot of many of those same customers taken while they were creating the ad.

I uploaded both to YouTube, and embedded the outtakes video below.  Why? Because it’s nice to have the flavor of the whole conversation to give support to the quotes you’ll see air in the 30 second spot.  These folks aren’t actors, just passionate about their FiOS – which I think shines through in these longer outtakes.

Nice try.

All network companies have used some fiber for more than a decade, but only one, Verizon, takes that fiber all the way to your door. 

Why should  consumer  consumers care?  Not necessarily because of what the pipe is made of, but because of what it can do.

On that point, a colleague here who saw the ad wrote me:

“I happen to live in an area where I could get this wonderful full-o-fiber TW bundle.  Let's see ... according to their Web site I'd get a 'blazing fast' 1.5 Mpbs connection and "digital phone local only" voice in addition to cable service.  w00t w00t!  Unfortunately I'm not interested, because with my FiOS bundle I have a 15 meg FiOS Internet service, local plus unlimited long-distance calling, plus three phone features -- all enabled by fiber straight to my door.

"Also, the FiOS bundle includes FiOS TV which a leading consumer magazine just said outperforms any other cable service out there.”

Bottom line: these guys may be selling some soggy cold cereal, but FiOS is an all-you-can eat buffet.

Gizmodo also writes this up.

Now the new numbers; these are highlights, with the full fact sheet below:

·         At the end of December 2007, Verizon had passed about 9.3 million homes and businesses in parts of 17 states.

·         Verizon expects to continue passing some 3 million premises annually through 2010, when the company expects to have passed about 18 million homes, or over half the homes it serves.

·         As of December 31, 2007, Verizon has more than 1.5 million FiOS Internet customers, an increase of 245,000 during the fourth quarter of 2007 – or about 3,900 new FiOS Internet customers every business day at an average penetration rate of 21 percent.

·         Verizon expects to attract 6 to 7 million FiOS Internet customers by year-end 2010 – a penetration rate of 35 percent to 40 percent.

·         During just the fourth quarter of 2007, Verizon added a net of 226,000 new FiOS TV customers -- or about 3,600 new customers every business day. 

·         In January 2008 we signed up our one-millionth FiOS TV customer, just 28 months after launching the service, making Verizon the 10^th largest subscription television provider in the country.

FULL FACT SHEET

Verizon is the only major U.S. telecom company building an advanced, all-digital fiber-optic network, on a mass scale, all the way to customers’ homes. 

Where is Verizon Deploying its Fiber Network?

·        At the end of December 2007, Verizon had passed about 9.3 million homes and businesses  in parts of 17 states.  

·        Verizon expects to continue passing some 3 million premises annually through 2010, when the company expects to have passed about 18 million homes, or over half the homes it serves.

·        Verizon has leveraged the versatility and capacity of the fiber network by introducing in 2007 industry-leading synchronous downstream and upstream data rates of up to 20 Megabits per second (Mbps), helping customers engage innovative broadband and video online activities and transfer large files more quickly and efficiently.

·        Verizon is investing nearly $23 billion in the FiOS project, between 2004 and 2010.  Over the same period, the company expects to save $5 billion because of the avoided maintenance costs and other savings associated with the new fiber plant.

What Broadband Products is Verizon Delivering on its All-Fiber Network?

·        At the end of December 2007, Verizon was marketing its industry-leading, high-speed FiOS Internet service – with downstream speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upstream speeds of up to 20 Mbps – in over 2,000 communities in all 17 states where the company is building its fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.

·        As of December 31, 2007, Verizon has more than 1.5 million FiOS Internet customers, an increase of 245,000 during the fourth quarter of 2007 – or about 3,900 new FiOS Internet customers every business day at an average penetration rate of 21 percent.

·        Verizon expects to attract 6 to 7 million FiOS Internet customers by year-end 2010 – a penetration rate of 35 percent to 40 percent.

·        For more information on products and pricing, go to: http://www.verizon.com/fiberoptics.

What Video Products is Verizon Delivering on its All-Fiber Network?

·        At the end of December 2007, Verizon’s all-digital FiOS TV service was available to about 5.9 million premises in 13 of the states where the company is building FTTP:  California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

·        As of December 31, 2007, Verizon had 943,000 FiOS TV customers and in January 2008 signed up its one-millionth FiOS TV customer, just 28 months after launching the service, making Verizon the 10^th largest subscription television provider in the country, just 300,000 customers behind number 9, Mediacomm Communications.  During just the fourth quarter of 2007, Verizon added a net of 226,000 new FiOS TV customers -- or about 3,600 new customers every business day.  Better than 1 of every 6 customers who can buy FiOS TV is purchasing the service across the board, with penetration much higher in some areas.

·        Verizon's FiOS TV delivers hundreds of digital video and music channels, high-definition programming, video-on-demand content, a robust interactive media guide and other customer-friendly features.  Verizon will deliver more than 150 channels in High Definition by year-end.