Frontier Communication announces that its pending acquisition of local Verizon Communications operations in 14 states has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission. The transaction has now received all necessary regulatory approvals, including regulatory approval in nine states and approval to transfer control of local cable TV franchises to Frontier for the FiOS markets in Oregon and Washington. Frontier and Verizon are completing the other conditions to closing and expect the transaction to close on July 1, 2010.

VerizonFiOS TV subscribers, providing access to hundreds of stations nationwide and the ability to stream music from the PC to the TV.

Verizon's Internet Radio and Internet Videos services are both accessible via Media Manager, which already allows subscribers to search and view on their TVs user-generated content from online video-sharing sites blip.tv, Dailymotion and Veoh. In addition, Verizon has expanded the Media Manager service, making it available to all FiOS TV HD customers. Previously, it was available only to DVR customers. The availability of YouTube, the world's most popular online video community, will add thousands more daily videos to the service.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Verizon Communications has put an end to their FiOS rollouts, for the time being. The company will no longer be looking for new cities to obtain franchise agreements to rollout the service, but will continue to process existing negotiations with communities. Verizon will instead focus on increasing penetration in cities where their FiOS service is already offered.

Verizon is coming to the end of their $23 billion dollar buildout to support their fiber-optic FiOS service. The buildout was a gamble that came in stark contrast to AT&T's $4 billion dollar buildout to support their U-verse service. Verizon, however, has laid the foundation for expanding their service's capabilities (which they have already done) for years to come while AT&T is quite limited in their expansion.

Verizon has told the Street they will have 18 million households on the FiOS service by the end of 2010. That means they need to sign on approximately 3 million new subscribers in 2010.

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.

Verizon and HBO announce that Verizon's FiOS TV customers will be the first to gain access to HBOGO.com, HBO's online video destination featuring over 600 hours of HBO programming. Starting tomorrow, FiOS customers who subscribe to HBO will automatically receive free, unlimited online access to HBO programming at any time, from any U.S. location with a broadband connection. These subscribers can access HBO GO with their Verizon FiOS log-in credentials at www.verizon.com/fiostvonline and www.hbogo.com. Customers must subscribe to both FiOS TV and FiOS Internet.

Verizon is delivering more international content to its FiOS TV subscribers with the launch of three new channels from World TV that feature Korean, Mandarin and Greek programming. With the additions, FiOS TV subscribers now have access to 35 international channels covering 20 languages - a collection that cable can't match. The three new channels will be available in all FiOS TV markets by the end of the week.

Verizon, partner in the industry's TV Everywhere initiative, has launched a trial to bring television programming online to FiOS TV subscribers.

Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bewkes said, "When we first announced the TV Everywhere initiative, we hoped others in the industry would soon sign on to provide consumers with more on-demand television content over all platforms including broadband. We are pleased to partner with Verizon to deliver TNT and TBS programming on-demand and online at no additional cost to customers and to do so in a progressive manner that builds the business for the future."

Verizon's Wireline segment reported continued strong growth in the number of new customers of fiber-optic-based FiOS Internet and FiOS TV services, and continued increased revenues from enterprise strategic services. In the second quarter:

• Verizon added 303,000 net new FiOS Internet customers, a record number for the second consecutive quarter. By the end of the second quarter, the company had 3.1 million FiOS Internet customers, an increase of 56.1 percent compared with June 30, 2008.
• FiOS Internet sales penetration (sales as a percentage of potential customers) increased to 28.1 percent, compared with 23.5 percent at June 30, 2008. FiOS Internet was available for sale to 11.0 million premises by the end of the quarter.
• Verizon added 300,000 net new FiOS TV customers. The company had 2.5 million FiOS TV customers by the end of the quarter, an increase of 82.1 percent compared with June 30, 2008.
• FiOS TV sales penetration increased to 24.6 percent, compared with 19.7 percent as of June 30, 2008. FiOS TV service was available for sale to 10.3 million premises by the end of the quarter.

Verizon FiOS continues creating the ultimate broadband and home-entertainment experience by introducing on Monday, June 22 new, faster broadband speeds - both downstream and upstream - for the most popular FiOS Internet services. The company is also offering compelling incentives for consumers to subscribe to FiOS. New customers who order qualifying FiOS bundles are eligible for a free Compaq Mini netbook or a Flip Ultra camcorder.

Residents of the Suffolk County Village of Asharoken are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television service, thanks to a newly approved agreement authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service, delivered over the most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.

Verizon and CBS announce comprehensive, new long-term program carriage agreements which bring new and expanded CBS programming to Verizon's television and wireless customers. Verizon has broadened and extended its rights for retransmission consent for CBS's owned and operated television stations, Network and local video-on-demand for the FiOS TV platform as well as mobile rights for Verizon Wireless' V CAST Video service.

Consumers looking to cut costs without sacrificing satisfaction for Internet, television, and telephone service should consider bundling with Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. In Consumer Reports' latest survey of major telecom providers and bundled services, featured in the February issue, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, whose networks are fiber-optic based, were the most consistently satisfying providers for their Internet, television, and telephone services.

Verizon is offering new bundles of voice, high-speed Internet and television service that deliver the home-entertainment and communications lifestyle that consumers want without straining their personal or family budgets. Available now, the new Verizon bundles provide consumers with more simplicity and better value, compared with choices from competitors.

The day of truly converged services cooperatively based in a telecommunications network, the Internet, a computer or a handheld device is not far off, and testing sponsored by a prominent industry group is being done over the next two weeks to bring that day even closer.

Engineers and equipment makers are gathering in the Verizon technology lab in Waltham and in labs elsewhere in North America, and in Asia and Europe to test a new system that enables incompatible services and networks to work together. It's called IP Multimedia Subsystem, and it will be at the heart of long-foretold convergence. "IMS is more than a platform; it is a system that will enable the true convergence of services, using some very interesting blends of network and Internet functions," said Mark Wegleitner, Verizon senior vice president of technology.

Verizon FiOS TV is now even better for customers in Maryland and northern Virginia as the company is launching 39 new channels, including 19 additional HD channels. FiOS TV customers in the area now have more than 540 HD choices available at any time, with at least 49 HD channels and more than 500 HD VOD titles offered each month.

As a result of this enhancement to the FiOS TV lineup, Verizon is now offering consumers here more HD than both Comcast and Cox offer. Verizon will continue expanding its FiOS TV channel lineup this year, with a major focus on HD content. By year-end, Verizon plans to offer all available major HD programming.