The New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) is expected to vote today on Verizon’s proposal to begin installing its FiOS TV fiber-optic network throughout all five boroughs of the city.
If approved, the proposal moves to the New York Public Service Commission for confirmation. With the necessary approvals, the company will begin offering its competitive cable service to hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in the boroughs later this year.
Verizon has proposed to offer service in every neighborhood in New York City in competition with existing cable service. No other company has ever proposed bringing fiber to every New Yorker's home. This 12-year proposed agreement is designed to serve the needs of about 3.1 million households that will have access to FiOS TV, including households in multiple dwelling units.
Some of the key provisions of the proposal include:
- Fully building out Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network throughout the entire city by mid-2014.
- Providing FiOS TV service to requesting customers in all five boroughs within a six-year time frame.
- Delivering more than 400 digital television channels and a library of more than 10,000 video-on-demand selections.
- Paying the city of more than $4 million for a technology and education fund.
- Paying about $18 million in grants through the life of the agreement to support public access via the city's five borough-based Community Access Organizations (CAOs).
- Paying $10 million in grants to support the city's education and government access channels.
For more information, visit www.verizon.com.
