The Massapequa Park Village Board of Trustees Monday night (Sept. 26) voted to provide residents with true choice for their cable television services, awarding a video franchise to Verizon for its Verizon FiOS TV product, to be delivered via the company’s new, fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network.

This Long Island village thus becomes the first community in the state to pave the way for improved competition in the cable television market. The local approval is subject to review by the New York Public Service Commission. Verizon has also obtained video franchises in California, Virginia, Florida and Texas.

"This is great news for the residents of Massapequa Park, who will have more choice for their video entertainment," said Thomas A. Dunne, vice president public affairs, policy and communications for Verizon New York. "We commend the village trustees, Mayor James Altadonna Jr., Village Manager Peggy Caltabiano and Village Attorney Kevin M. Walsh for their dedication and hard work throughout this process. They recognize and support the technological advantage and competitive benefits, as well as the distinctive edge in economic development and quality of life that fiber will bring to Massapequa Park.

"We look forward to similarly successful negotiations with other municipalities on Long Island," said Dunne.

The village council’s decision gives Verizon the authority to offer FiOS TV to the 5,800 households of Massapequa Park. Many Verizon customers here are already enjoying FiOS Internet Service, which delivers blazing-fast download speeds ranging approximately from up to 5 Mbps to up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second).

Verizon launched FiOS TV Sept. 22 in Keller, Texas, unveiling a broad collection of all-digital programming with more than 330 total channels and more on the way. Availability plans for FiOS TV in Massapequa Park will be announced soon. Under the franchise agreement, which covers 10 years with an option for five more, Verizon will provide service to the entire village once the company’s fiber network is completed. In addition, the agreement contains provisions for the network’s future growth; financial support and capacity for public and governmental access channels; and other important provisions.

FiOS TV is a state-of-the-art video service designed to compete with cable and satellite and win. It is delivered over Verizon’s fiber-to-the-premises network, which 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. Verizon’s network design includes backup facilities not common to traditional cable systems, such as duplicate "head ends" where the TV service receives national programming.

Verizon currently is constructing FTTP networks in more than half the states where it offers landline communications service, including 115 communities in New York.

FiOS TV will deliver a wide range of programming designed to meet the entertainment and information needs of Long Island’s diverse population. Customers will be able to buy FiOS TV as a stand-alone service or packaged with voice and FiOS Internet Service. Verizon has announced video content agreements with major and independent network groups, including The Walt Disney Company, NBC Universal Cable, Starz Entertainment Group, Showtime Networks, Turner Broadcasting System, A&E Television Networks, Discovery Networks, Si TV and NFL Network.