Verizon's FiOS TV Approved in Lexington, Tyngsborough, Mass.

Verizon's FiOS TV Approved in Lexington, Tyngsborough, Mass.

17,000 More Massachusetts Households Will Now Have Choice for Cable TV

LEXINGTON, Mass., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Boards of selectmen in two more Massachusetts communities granted cable-TV franchises to Verizon Monday night (Oct. 30), paving the way for video choice for an estimated 12,000 more Bay State households.

The franchises, granted in Lexington and Tyngsborough, bring to 25 the total number of Massachusetts communities where Verizon's FiOS TV is or will soon be available.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring FiOS TV to residents in Lexington and Tyngsborough," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "Since the launch of FiOS TV in Massachusetts earlier this year, we are continuing our efforts to meet the consumer demand for cable TV choice."

FiOS TV is the company's new fiber-optic television service, delivered over the only all-digital, fiber network that is being made available, on a mass scale, to millions of individual homes and businesses. It offers a better quality picture, more high definition and on-demand programs, and more reliable service at competitive prices.

The company currently offers FiOS TV in Acton, Andover, Belmont, Boxborough, Boxford, Burlington, Hamilton, Hopkinton, Ipswich, Lincoln, Lynnfield, Nahant, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Wenham, Winchester and Woburn, as well as other locations in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Maryland and Virginia. Verizon also has TV franchises in the Massachusetts communities of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

"As a result of these new franchises, consumers will be able to choose their cable provider as easily as they choose their phone company," said Cupelo. "Competition drives innovation, value and service quality, and it puts the consumer in control."

Verizon is currently in negotiations with some 30 other communities in Massachusetts to obtain additional franchises. For more information on the Verizon franchise process in the state, log onto http://www.verizon.com/ma.

Verizon research indicates 87 percent of Massachusetts residents favor more competition and choice for video services. Independent studies have shown that competition in the video market brings enormous benefits to consumers in the form of reduced prices, better packages and improved service.

The franchise agreements with Lexington and Tyngsborough contain provisions for the network's future growth; financial support and capacity for educational and government access channels; cable service to government buildings; and other important benefits to each town, including insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.

"Verizon will compete aggressively for subscribers in Lexington and Tyngsborough with our FiOS services, which are fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network," Cupelo said.

Verizon is the first company to offer such a communications network, connecting homes and businesses directly to fiber optics on a widespread scale.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, two dozen high-definition channels, video on demand and more. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber 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 at download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 5 Mbps.*

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

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 57 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 approximately 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit http://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 http://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: Phil Santoro of Verizon, +1-617-743-4760,
philip.g.santoro@verizon.com

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

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

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