Verizon is now taking orders for its fiber-optic TV service in the Long Island villages of Farmingdale and Valley Stream, as well as the Town of Huntington hamlets of Centerport, Cold Spring Harbor, Greenlawn, Huntington Station, Huntington and Melville, and the Town of Smithtown hamlets of Hauppauge, Lake Grove, Lake Ronkonkoma, Nesconset, Smithtown and St. James. Also today, Verizon launched FiOS TV in the Westchester County village of Irvington.
The company already offers FiOS TV in more than 40 New York communities where cable franchises have been approved, including the Westchester County community of Greenburgh as well as the Rockland County villages of Nyack, South Nyack, Upper Nyack and Grandview-on-Hudson; and the Town of Clarkstown hamlets of West Nyack, Central Nyack, Valley Cottage, New City, Congers, Bardonia and Rockland Lake. Verizon also offers FiOS TV in the Long Island communities of Massapequa Park, Laurel Hollow, Cedarhurst, Lynbrook, Mineola and East Rockaway; the Town of Hempstead hamlets of Baldwin, Bellmore, Elmont, Hewlett, Lakeview, Merrick, North Merrick, North Bellmore, North Valley Stream, Oceanside, Roosevelt, Seaford, Wantagh and Woodmere; and the Town of Oyster Bay hamlets of Massapequa, Syosset, Woodbury, Bethpage, Hicksville, Jericho, Plainview, Oyster Bay and East Norwich.
Upon New York State Public Service Commission approval, the company will launch its FiOS TV service in the Westchester County village of Ardsley and the Long Island village of Freeport.
"Today, more New York consumers have been given an outstanding, superior choice for their video entertainment," said Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president for New York and Connecticut. "No longer will customers be at the mercy of a single cable-TV company. They'll have Verizon FiOS TV.
"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 Azare.
All Verizon FiOS TV-eligible customers in New York have the option to trim their monthly bill by bundling FiOS TV service, FiOS Internet Service and the Verizon Freedom Value unlimited calling plan -- all for under $95 a month.
Service highlights include:
Information on packages and prices is available now at www.verizon.com .
Customers also can call 1-800-880-2941 to see if they are able to order FiOS TV.
In addition to New York, FiOS TV is also available to customers in parts of six other states: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas and Virginia. The company has video franchises covering approximately 3.6 million households in nine states and more than 200 franchise areas. As the fiber network is fully deployed in franchise areas, Verizon will provide consumers with the opportunity to choose FiOS TV.
Verizon's FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which 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. The company's fiber network also offers consumers and businesses high-speed FiOS Internet Service, which is currently available in many New York communities. 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.
(More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center at www.verizon.com/news.)
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:
Consumers with a passion for movies 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 specialized Fiber Solutions Centers.