Verizon at Home

Verizon customers in the Northeast who call us with a FiOS billing question are getting a return message that very day from a senior executive to make sure everything goes right. And just for extra measure, Verizon Vice President of Sales Bob Driscoll provides his personal Verizon e-mail address.

Driscoll’s initiative is just one example of the extra steps Verizon is taking to ensure our customers’ satisfaction. Other examples include new self-service tools that enable customers to do business with us when it’s convenient for them; a streamlined call tree system that gets customers to the right person quickly; and the ability for FiOS TV customers to remotely program their DVRs from a cell phone or computer. Read more...

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 by the end of this year. And building this network has been no easy task, as tech-journalist Jonathan Blum of CNNMoney.com demonstrated this week. Read more...

Starting Tuesday, 65 of the country’s top college hoops teams will compete in the annual ritual that is the national men's basketball championship tournament, also known as the Big Dance. All the while, millions of crazed fans will follow every dribble, dunk and buzzer-beating three-pointer in hopes that their tournament bracket predictions come true.

The tournament certainly makes for great television. But for many fans, it’s simply not possible to catch every game on TV. Fortunately, there are several options for Verizon customers to get their fix. Read more...

Let’s face it – all HD is not created equal. So with all of the great TV programming coming up in the next two weeks, it’s an exciting time to be a FiOS TV customer.

This weekend, college basketball fans will be glued to their TV screens during the conference championships. On Saturday, you’ll be flipping between the ACC games on ESPN at 1:30 and 3:30 pm ET, the Big Ten on CBS at 1:40 and 4:10 pm, and the Big East on ESPN at 9 pm – all in HD. Read more...

Identity theft remains one of the fastest growing crimes in America, affecting millions of customers just like you. But you can fight back by guarding your personal information against theft and misuse. Here are five things you can do to protect your personal information and prevent identity theft. Read more...

Boy, direct marketing has come a long, long way from the early days of free samples when little boxes of detergent would arrive in the mail.

Recently, 10,000 Verizon FiOS customers got a 21st century freebie in the mail. It came in the form of a little cardboard folder with what looked like a small USB thumb drive folded in. The packaging said all they needed to do was insert this webkey in their computer and it would bring them the Verizon In-Home Agent, a dynamic new self-help tool that supports broadband, TV and phone services. Read more...

Today’s guest blogger is Matt Brodeur, a former cable-company employee from Millbury, MA, who says that FiOS has enriched his family’s life in many different ways.

My name is Matt Brodeur. I'm a stay-at-home dad from Millbury, MA. I used to work as a customer service rep for a cable company, and I used to have cable Internet and TV. I've been with Verizon FiOS Internet since 2006 and FiOS TV since 2008.

The biggest difference I noticed when switching from cable to FiOS Internet was actually not how fast something downloaded, but how good my telephone calls started sounding. Read more...

With two days until the Academy Awards, I've realized there are some films nominated that I really want to see before the winners are announced. FiOS TV to the rescue. We're offering a video-on-demand category called "And the Winner Is" with over 75 titles that feature movies currently up for an award and some favorites that have won in the past.

With about 18,000 monthly titles, FiOS TV VOD has you covered with everything from kids programming and exercise routines to concerts and movies. And it’s simple – all you have to do is press “VOD” or “On Demand” on the FiOS remote control and you’re there. Read more...

The TV of Tomorrow Show in San Francisco is all about interactive TV, so it's not surprising that three Verizon executives are speaking there this week. Their subject is FiOS TV Widgets, which also earned Verizon a Leadership Award for "creating the most innovative and disruptive content offering of the past year."

Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, director of interactive video services, spoke about our Widget Bazaar strategy and FiOS TV's proven record of fostering innovation. For example, she said, we've launched over 20 partner widgets since the Beta Developer Program began in October 2009. Read more...

We're seeing a lot of exciting activity with Share the Network, Verizon's customer referral program. It makes sense because everyone wins. The person who refers gets a reward card, and the referred person who signs up for any of Verizon's qualifying services also gets a reward card. How cool is that? Read more...

Hey all you hockey fans: have you been trekking to your local sports bar just to catch your favorite team? No need this week, as FiOS TV is offering the opportunity to try out NHL Center Ice for free. Starting today through March 8, customers can check out all the action during the NHL Center Ice Race to the Stanley Cup. Read more...

Grab a cup of coffee. Verizon's Tom Maguire and Shawn Strickland were talking all things FiOS on New York radio station WOR's Saturday Morning Show with Joe Bartlett on Feb. 27. You can listen to a podcast of the 30-minute program here.

Although some of the conversation naturally was about FiOS in the New York City area, they had plenty to say about FiOS overall, including a look ahead at new services. Read more...

Hold onto your shin guards for this one, soccer fans; Fox Soccer Plus is now a part of Verizon FiOS TV's channel line up.

Starting today, channel 1009, which formerly carried Setanta Sports, will become Fox Soccer Plus. Setanta Sports will no longer broadcast in the United States. For just $14.99/month, Fox Soccer Plus features coverage of the best soccer in the world. Read more...

Boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are about to get an interactive ringside seat on FiOS TV with Showtime Sports Interactive. For industry-watchers, it's the first HD Interactive EBIF offering (more about that later).

Starting this Friday (Feb. 26) at 11 p.m. ET with Showtime's "Strikeforce Challengers" mixed martial arts event, FiOS TV HD customers who also subscribe to Showtime have the first look at this high-def interactive experience. Read more...

Ever since the Internet boom, there's been ongoing chatter about what the Internet will overtake next. We've seen it swiftly knock out newspapers as the main source for current events and even outspend television ads in the United Kingdom. For a while, it seemed like it was only a matter of time until television was next to go on the Internet's hit list.

But hold your horses. A recent New York Times story is quick to point out, in TV's defense, that this year's Super Bowl broke records for most number of viewers, beating out the 1983 final episode of "M*A*S*H." Adding to that, award shows like the Grammys are reeling in their biggest numbers in years. In short, current television ratings for big-ticket events have been indicating an upward trend in viewership. Read more...

Amid a winter for the ages, Verizon is dialing up a dose of sunshine in the form of a new FiOS triple bundle, with a price of $89.99 a month that's guaranteed not to change for two years, saving you money now and down the road.

With our new online exclusive offer, the new low price is the one you'll pay for 24 months and amounts to a savings of $480 over the regular triple bundle price.

This new offer reflects the special deals we'll continue to extend to customers who order Verizon services online. Read more...

You're welcome!

That's Verizon responding to the thousands and thousands of customers whom research suggests prefer our self-help tools available online, on the TV screen and even on the voice response system. They're using these tools to get things done quickly and effortlessly, without the need for a phone call. Read more...

Verizon has been helping folks celebrate Black History Month this February. For example, Verizon Thinkfinity, our Web site with free educational resources, has been offering free lesson plans, teacher resources and student activities to bring the inspiring stories of black leaders to life. These resources give teachers lessons on everything from W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington to the story of the Underground Railroad. Read more...

As the dad of two young daughters, I'm well aware of how important technology and digital gadgets have become for youth in our hyper-connected society.

While I didn't touch my first computer until I was in college, my girls mastered their first mouse before they reached second grade. On certain occasions, including drive time, my wife allows them to text some of her friends on her Verizon smart phone. Read more...

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Ever misplace your TV remote? You search the entire room and wish you could just use your cell phone to change the channel. Now you can and more with Mobile Remote, only available with the FiOS home network. And we're letting our at Home readers know about it first. Starting this week, FiOS TV customers who also have a Motorola Droid or HTC Imagio handset can use these devices to control their HD set-top-box. You'll have all the same functions of the standard FiOS remote and then some! You can change channels, manage parental controls, pause, rewind, fast forward or record a TV show - all through the cell phone.

Read more...

I love HBO and all it has to offer: original series, films, sports, blockbuster movies, documentaries - I could go on. So needless to say, I couldn't be more excited that Verizon FiOS and HBO are launching HBO GO, HBO's online video hub featuring over 600 hours of HBO programming.

Starting tomorrow, FiOS customers who subscribe to our HBO or HBO/Cinemax package will also get free, unlimited online access to HBO programming. Subscribers can access HBO GO any time, any place with their Verizon FiOS login-in credentials, by simply going to the FiOS TV Online Web site or www.hbogo.com.  Customers must subscribe to both FiOS TV and FiOS Internet. Read more...

Verizon's all-fiber-optic network really is special. We've commented here many times before on how fiber-based service creates superior TV and Internet experiences.

Did you know, though, how dynamic the Verizon fiber network is? And did you know that fiber is catching on all over the country among all kinds of service providers?

For starters, here are some figures regarding the Verizon fiber network.... Read more...

Payphones used to be commonplace. You'd find them in restaurants, bars, hotels, stores, gas stations and hospitals. They'd put you in touch with family in good times and bad.

Today, they've become rarer - a victim of the huge success of mobile phones and the popularity of sending emails from handheld devices. Verizon, which managed more than 2 million payphones several years ago, now operates about 150,000 across the country. Factoring other large payphone operators, there are almost 900,000 payphones still in use in the U.S. with each call costing either 25 or 50 cents, depending upon its location.

Read more...

Recently, we've had some good news here at Verizon from NBC Universal. First we told you about all of the great Winter Games content available from Verizon this year. Then we told you about MSNBC launching in the NYC metro area. Now, I'm here to deliver some very exciting news: MSNBC is now in HD.

Just in time for the start of the Games this weekend, Verizon has launched MSNBC in high-def in all FiOS TV markets. Available on channel 603, MSNBC HD is now part of all current Verizon FiOS TV packages - Prime HD, Extreme HD and Ultimate HD - as well as our previous Extreme HD package. Read more...

Three words typically come to mind when Valentine's Day comes around--flowers, candy and cards. While all of those are great gifts, why not try something different this year and let FiOS TV help you plan the day?

If you're still in need of a gift, browse the HSN Shop By Remote® Widget and check out the Verizon FiOS Deal of the Day, exclusive to our customers. Browse all the categories and see what you can buy with just a few clicks of the remote. Read more...

Hoping to catch all the action from Rio's Carnival this year? Look no further than FiOS TV. We now have our first Brazilian channel: TV Globo.

Available on channel 1768, TV Globo broadcasts in Portuguese and offers live news, sporting events, telenovelas, miniseries, kids' programming and variety shows - all for $19.99 per month. And, TV Globo has exclusive rights to air the Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo - the most famous Carnival events, for those who don't know. Read more...

While the Saints marched into the end zone to win Super Bowl XLIV Sunday, I wished for another pair of arms. Sitting on my couch among family and friends, I lived out what millions face these days as the line between work and home life blurred.

Toggling between home and work life reinforced to me that this blurry line requires consumers to have a reliable broadband connection. In today's era, reliable broadband powers the multi-tasking that millions of us do as work and home life often share the same bunk. If the broadband service you have, or plan to order, isn't reliable -- regardless of how inexpensive it may be -- it'll eventually cost you more in time and money. Read more...

Our guest blogger today is Todd Gebhart, who is McAfee's Executive Vice President and General Manager for consumer, mobile and small business products.

Welcome to the McAfee family, VISS users! Verizon is offering an upgraded Verizon Internet Security Suite (VISS) to its FiOS Internet and High Speed Internet customers, as well as other U.S. consumer and small-business broadband users. From everyone at McAfee, we'd like to say how excited we are about our partnership and providing users with top-notch security. Read more...

The Reyes family of Clearwater, Fla., is now experiencing life-altering technology, thanks to a FiOS 25 Megabits per second (Mbps)/25 Mbps Internet connection, FiOS HD-TV programming, some fabulous new electronic devices and a home designed to integrate the technology into the family's daily lives.

That's the idea behind My Home 2.0, a home-technology makeover show produced by Verizon that will air on three local Florida TV stations starting April 4. This is the third time Verizon has done a My Home project. The Clearwater family was chosen from among hundreds of families hoping for a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity - a total technology makeover, guided and designed by technology gurus, utilizing the industry leading broadband and TV services provided by Verizon's FiOS. Read more...

Tomorrow, I'll celebrate my 15th anniversary as a Verizon employee. Back in 1995, I left the transportation industry to join a sector I felt was on the verge of dramatic change and excitement.

My bet paid off 100 fold. Not once have I regretted the career move.

The time has flown by faster than the photos I upload of my family and friends to Facebook using my blazing fast Verizon FiOS Internet connection at home.

Read more...