Residents of Millis are a major step closer to having a real 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 Millis Board of Selectmen on Monday (March 8) granted a cable franchise to Verizon, authorizing video choice for thousands of households here.

The board's authorization brings to 106 the total number of Massachusetts communities where Verizon's FiOS TV is or will soon be available.

"We are thrilled to bring FiOS TV, an outstanding alternative for video entertainment, to residents in Millis," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for New England. "Since the launch of FiOS TV in Massachusetts, we are continuing our efforts to meet the consumer demand for cable TV choice."

FiOS TV is the company's advanced fiber-optic television service, with superior picture-and-sound quality, innovative and interactive features, more high-definition and on-demand programs than cable, and more reliable service at competitive prices.

"As a result of this new franchise, consumers in Millis 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's license agreement with the city of Millis is for 10 years. The 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 city, including insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.

"Verizon will compete aggressively for subscribers in Millis with our FiOS services, which are fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network," Cupelo said. Verizon soon will begin its door-to-door sales campaign in Millis, explaining the many advantages of FiOS TV to local consumers.

Verizon is the first company to offer a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, connecting homes and businesses directly to fiber optics on a widespread scale.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of programming, with more than 600 all-digital channels in Massachusetts and 18,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles each month – 70 percent of which are free. Verizon's industry-leading VOD library also includes more than 2,400 HD titles per month.

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 up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 35 Mbps and is the only company to offer symmetrical download/upload speeds, with speeds of 25/25 and 35/35 Mbps.*

Prices for the 24-month triple play of FiOS Internet, TV and home phone plans begin at $89.99 a month for those customers who sign up online. This amounts to a savings of $20 a month over regular prices and also applies to other FiOS triple-play bundles, including those with more HD options and unprecedented symmetrical Internet speeds of 35 Mbps or 25 Mbps.