Smithtown, N.Y., Consumers One Step Closer to Real Choice for Cable TV

Smithtown, N.Y., Consumers One Step Closer to Real Choice for Cable TV

Verizon's FiOS TV Will Transform the Market for Cable Competition, Consumer Choice and Value

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Long Island community of Smithtown is bringing its residents a major step closer to choice for their cable television services, thanks to the Town Board's vote on Tuesday (Oct. 10) to award a video franchise to Verizon for its FiOS TV service.

FiOS TV is Verizon's state-of-the-art, fiber-optic television service, which will be delivered via the company's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. Verizon is the first company to offer such a communications network, connecting homes and businesses directly to fiber optics on a widespread scale.

Smithtown is the 15th community in New York state -- and the 9th on Long Island -- to grant a video franchise to Verizon. This franchise covers parts of Smithtown's unincorporated hamlets of Commack, Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma, Nesconset, Smithtown and St. James. Each incorporated area of the town must conduct its own negotiations with Verizon for a video franchise.

"This is great news for residents of Smithtown, who now will have a new choice for their video entertainment," said Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president for New York and Connecticut. "Choice and competition drive innovation, value and service quality.

"We look forward to similarly successful negotiations with other towns and villages throughout New York state," said Azare.

Smithtown joins a growing list of New York communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market. Verizon already has been granted video franchises by the Long Island communities of Massapequa Park, Cedarhurst, Laurel Hollow, Lynbrook, Mineola, East Rockaway, the Town of Hempstead and the Town of Oyster Bay. In addition, Verizon has been awarded cable franchises by the Town of Greenburgh in Westchester County and by the Rockland County communities of Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack, Grandview-on-Hudson and Clarkstown.

As with all local franchise approvals in New York, the agreement between Smithtown and Verizon is subject to review by the New York State Public Service Commission.

Verizon, which launched FiOS TV last September in Keller, Texas, currently offers the service in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Virginia.

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming, more than 20 high-definition channels, video on demand and more. Verizon's fiber network delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also allows the company to offer consumers and businesses high-speed FiOS Internet service, which is currently available in many New York communities.

Verizon's FTTP network, which is the largest of its kind in the country, has industry-leading quality and reliability. It is currently under construction in more than half of the states where the company offers landline communications services, including more than 150 New York communities.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 55 million customers nationwide. Verizon Business operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks. Verizon Telecom is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 252,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com .

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

Source: Verizon

CONTACT: Heather Wilner of Verizon, +1-212-321-8333,
heather.b.wilner@verizon.com

Web site: http://www.verizon.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html

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