Verizon at Home

[#1]

You may have seen some recent discussion about Verizon’s deployment of our all fiber-optic network, and I wanted to set the record straight for our At Home readers.

As a new competitor in the TV market, our strategy has been two-fold: open new markets and make our services available to more customers in existing markets.  That’s just what we’ve done.  Since the rollout in Keller, Texas, back in 2004, we’ve built a fiber-to-the-home network that reaches 15.4 million homes and small businesses.  Now, in 2010, we’re on track to complete our stated goal of passing about 18 million premises.  And building this network has been no easy task, as tech-journalist Jonathan Blum of CNNMoney.com demonstrated this week.

At the end of the last quarter, we had 3.4 million FiOS Internet customers and 2.9 million FiOS TV customers.  That’s a national penetration rate of 28 percent for FiOS Internet and 25 percent for FiOS TV – a very healthy growth clip for a service that we began selling from scratch nearly five years ago. That makes us the 8th largest among cable and satellite providers, some of whom have been in the business for decades.

As we move forward this year, we’re focusing on building our fiber-based network and increasing FiOS availability in those areas where we already have video franchises in place.  As most of you know, video franchises are required by law in order to offer TV service in a community.  In some states, we have a franchise for the entire state, but in others, we need to go town-by-town to secure a franchise.

This means we’ll continue to meet build-out commitments in franchise areas like Washington D.C., New York City and Philadelphia, as well as in towns and villages near you.  And we’ll reach out to consumers in all of our FiOS TV markets to remind them why it’s a truly superior service, with America’s top-rated Internet service, unmatched symmetrical speeds, and the network that’s built for the future of HD with up to 138 high-def channels and amazing HD picture and sound. 

So stay tuned here, where we always try to provide our At Home readers with the latest Verizon news and updates.

[#2]

Bill,

We've had radio silence from Eric Rabe since August of 2009 on the issue of the Cabelvision program access complaint (http://policyblog.verizon.com/BlogPost/642/VerizonAsksFCCtoRuleonMSGHDChannels.aspx).  Any update you can provide as to Verizon's course of action now that the order was issued by the FCC on 1/20, and upheld in Federal Court on 3/12?  As stated in the news release accompanying the order, "The Order does not decide [existing] complaints but describes how they can be handled going forward. It provides that complainants may continue to pursue their complaints as filed. If, instead, a complainant wants a currently pending complaint to be considered under the new rules, it may submit a supplemental filing alleging that the defendant has engaged in an unfair act after the effective date of the rules."

Will Verizon be submitting a new complaint or continuing to pursue the complaint filed July 7, 2009.  Inquiring minds want to know... we want MSG in HD just in time for the Knicks and Rangers to not be participating in the playoffs...

Thanks!

[#3]

If the FiOS roll out is going so well why are you selling it off in Washington?

[#4]

travism,

You’re right that Verizon FiOS is performing very well for us, and we expect great things to come from our fiber deployment.

We operate a small amount of FiOS service in parts of Washington, Oregon, Indiana and South Carolina – four states that we are seeking to divest our landline assets to Frontier Communications.  Since in those states, our most prevailing form of broadband offered is not FiOS, we made a strategic decision to divest our wireline assets in those states so as to further sharpen our focus on delivering FiOS in other states where we operate more densely populated markets. All of Verizon’s remaining local landline operations have high concentrations of FiOS in more densely populated markets.  We believe our focus on reshaping our asset base will drive higher growth over time and improve long-term returns.

Frontier has pledged to continue providing FiOS service in the markets where it is already offered in Washington, Oregon, Indiana and South Carolina.

Bill

[#5]

I just read an AP article about Verizon ceasing to deploy FIOS in new communities.  Needless to say, this is extremely disappointing for those of us who have been waiting patiently for FIOS since the service was first announced.

We live in Los Gatos, CA and our landline service was originally provided by GTE before being purchased by Verizon.  We are an affluent community in the Silicon Valley area.  One would expect that Verizon would appreciate that a community such as ours would be a prime market for FIOS.  We are future-oriented and fully appreciate the benefits that can be derived from fiber to the home.

Consequently, we are chagrined that Verizon will not be deploying FIOS in our area.  Furthermore, we are insulted that Verizon continues to market DSL in our town.  Our current broadband provider, Comcast, provides superior service to DSL and to expect customers not to recognize this is naive.

We implore you to reconsider your FIOS deployment plans and to pursue deployment in communities which would be highly receptive to the service.

[#6]

Bill, any chance we'll ever get FIOS in Los Gatos, CA or are we to be banished to Frontier Communications?

[#7]

any update on when Shipps Corrner (PRANVAXB) c/o will get fios??

i know PrincessAnne (PRANVAXA) and S.Plazza (VRBHVAPT) have fios.  

[#8]

ToddLC,

FiOS a great service, and customers have been enthusiastic wherever we've offered it.  We began construction of our fiber-to-the-home network in 2004, and we expect that about 70 pecent of Verizon homes will be able to get FiOS Internet service when we complete our original construction commitments. If you were hoping for FiOS, we understand your disappointment, but we're winding down the building phase of our plan.  At this stage of the project, we are now focused on reaching more homes and businesses in areas where the service is already deployed. As you note, customers who aren't served by fiber can receive reliable DSL-based Verizon High Speed Internet, which provides speeds up to 7.1 Mbps over a dedicated-capacity line.  This is different from cable Internet service that requires every user to share a finite amount of bandwidth with hundreds of their neighbors -- which is why cable modem users can experience service slowdowns during peak usage periods.  To answer your other question, Los Gatos is not part of Verizon's transaction with Frontier Communications, but Verizon has not announced any new plans for FiOS deployment beyond the current project.

Bill

[#9]

Good Morning,

I am an employee of Verizon, a Central Office Technician.  I understand there are no new plans beyond the current for FIOS deployment.  There is a Central Office in the Pittsburgh, PA area (PITBPAAL) that has FIOS but the whole area has not been fibred yet.  Are there plans to do this?  The Pittsburgh Steelers practice facility is looking to get FIOS and can't because the fiber hasn't been run to that part of the city(the area is called the South Side of Pittsburgh but is fed out of this Central Office), also, the area around is very congested and would be a big seller for FIOS.  I have friends and family asking constantly when it will be available in this area and also the Splicing Technicians that work in the area are asked daily when it will be available.  Thank you.

[#10]

saja825,

Thank you for reading the Verizon at Home blog.  In cities and towns where we have cable franchises, we're continuing to fulfill our commitment to deploy fiber.  That certainly includes Pittsburgh.

Bill

[#11]

Can anyone answer this one.

Fiber trunk lines have been buried in my apartment complex in Brookhaven, PA and fiber has been run to each of the apartments in that complex.  This was completed last summer 2009  I was given a link to check on current FTTP construction projects in PA. using this link below.  Brookhaven is on it and also the road, hilltop drive, but I still have not gotten any information from Verizon.   Can anything be done?

Thanks, Joe

http://www22.verizon.com/about/community/pa/files/PAFTTP040110.pdf

[#12]

Joewhocares,

Please email the name of your apartment complex to sharon.cohen-hagar@verizon.com, and we'll look into this for you. 

Bill

[#13]

Hello,

I am moving to a apartment complex that has told me they have a contract with Verizon to have fios service there. I know there is fios service across the street so there is a definite possibility of it being put in this complex as they are owned by the same company. Is there any chance you can tell me when and if this will happen if I email you the address? I am in vineland nj

Thanks,

Jayson

[#14]

jaysynn884,

Sure.  Please email the name and address of the apartment complex to sharon.cohen-hagar@verizon.com, and we'll see what we can find out for you.

Bill