Lexington and West Newbury are among 22 Massachusetts communities where the company's new fiber-optic television service is being offered -- delivered over the only all-digital, fiber network that is being made available, on a mass scale, to millions of individual homes and businesses. FiOS TV is also available in Acton, Andover, Belmont, Boxborough, Boxford, Burlington, Hamilton, Hopkinton, Ipswich, Lincoln, Lynnfield, Nahant, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Wenham, Winchester and Woburn.
Verizon also has TV franchises in the Massachusetts communities of Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester and Tyngsborough, and is currently negotiating with some 30 other communities in the state to obtain additional franchises. For more information on the Verizon franchise process in the state, visit Verizon .
Verizon launched FiOS TV in Keller, Texas, in September 2005 and began taking orders in Woburn, Mass., in February. The company also has begun offering the service elsewhere in Texas, as well as in parts of New York, California, Florida, Maryland and Virginia.
"FiOS TV gives Lexington and West Newbury consumers an outstanding, superior alternative for their video entertainment," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "Customers who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and capacity of fiber-based broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new entertainment experience," said Cupelo.
Massachusetts residents who are FiOS TV-eligible now have the option to trim their monthly bills by bundling FiOS TV service, FiOS Internet Service and the Verizon Freedom Value unlimited calling plan, all for $104.85.
Service highlights include:
Information on packages and prices is available at www.verizon.net/fiostv. Lexington customers also can call 1-800-880-2943 to see if they qualify to order FiOS TV.
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.
Delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. The Verizon FTTP network, the largest of its kind in the country, is currently under construction in more than half the states where the company offers landline communications services, including more than 50 Massachusetts communities.
The network brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and 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. It also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps as well as high-quality voice services. Only Verizon's FTTP network has earned the certification of the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way customers' homes and businesses.
Programming choices for Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural audiences are available in every market. Because FiOS TV has so much capacity, it is an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.
Service and Package Details
FiOS TV subscribers can choose from three simple-to-understand service offerings, each with built-in choice and value. They can then choose from packages and premium channels with programming that meets their special interests. Verizon offers three set-top boxes: standard definition for $3.95 per month; high definition, which includes HD channels, for $9.95 per month; and a dual-tuner, HD-capable digital video recorder for $12.95 per month.
The services include:
Verizon FiOS TV customers who sign up for 12 months of FiOS TV Premier or La Conexión will receive additional discounts through a newly instituted annual savings agreement. FiOS TV customers will have the choice of receiving $5 off the monthly Movie Package price for an annual savings of $60. Or, customers can waive the monthly standard set-top box fee of $3.95 - an annual savings of $47.40.
Consumers with a passion for movies or sports can add the movie package with 44 channels of Starz, Encore, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Sundance and Flix, as well as 255 titles of On Demand programming for a regular price of $11.95 a month. Sports enthusiasts can add a 15-channel sports package for $5.95 a month. Or, both packages can be purchased for $14.95 a month. In addition to the movie package, customers with a set-top box can order new On Demand movie releases for $3.95 each or choose from a selection of movie library titles for $2.95 each.
For wrestling fans, Verizon offers World Wrestling Entertainment's WWE 24/7, a subscription On Demand service, for $7.95 a month. Karaoke fans can sing along at home with a subscription to the Karaoke package for $7.95 a month.
Verizon also offers 14 HBO channels and 12 Cinemax channels as premium services, with each set of channels available for $14.95. The price includes access to each channel's subscription On Demand library. Subscribers who want both HBO and Cinemax will pay $24.95 per month.
The value of FiOS TV extends to the installation and customer support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services. Verizon is waiving the installation fee for up to three existing TV outlets, and there is no charge to install a needed optical network terminal at the subscriber's home. Charges for other installation services, such as additional outlets, may apply. Verizon provides 24x7 technical assistance by phone from its Fiber Solutions Centers in Providence, R.I., and other cities.