Residents of Abington, Mass. are a major step closer to having another choice for their cable television services, thanks to a newly approved agreement authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service via the most advanced all-digital, fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes. The Board of Selectmen in Abington granted a cable franchise Monday to Verizon, paving the way for video choice for approximately 5,000 more Massachusetts households.

The board's vote brings to 66 the total number of Massachusetts communities where Verizon's FiOS TV is or will soon be available.

FiOS TV is the company's new fiber-optic television service, which offers a better-quality picture, more high-definition and on-demand programs, and more reliable service at competitive prices.

Verizon currently offers FiOS TV to more than 400,000 households in 63 Massachusetts communities (see list below) as well as other locations in New York, New Jersey, California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.

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 Abington franchise agreement contains 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 the town, including insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of all-digital programming, more than two dozen high-definition channels, video on demand and more. 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.