Residents of Newark are a major step closer to real choice for their cable television services, thanks to last night’s (June 26) unanimous vote by the city council authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV here.

Newark is the fifth Delaware jurisdiction to grant Verizon a cable franchise, following Bellefonte, Delaware City, Odessa and Townsend. The company also has filed a franchise application with the Delaware Public Service Commission to serve the unincorporated areas of the state.

Verizon, which launched FiOS TV last September in Keller, Texas, currently offers the service in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Texas and Virginia. Verizon will make FiOS TV available in Delaware markets where it has negotiated franchise agreements with local authorities.

"Newark council members have made the right call for their constituents, who soon will be able to choose their video provider as easily as they now choose their phone company," said William R. Allan, president of Verizon Delaware. "Competition drives innovation, value and service quality, and we will compete aggressively for business in Newark with our FiOS services, which are fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network.

"We plan to bring these benefits to more Delaware consumers as we reach similar agreements with other municipalities and the Public Service Commission."

Under the 15-year agreement, Verizon will pay the community franchise fees based on the company’s gross revenues on cable services.

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming with more than 400 total channels, two dozen high-definition channels, more than 2,500 video on demand titles and more. 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.

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 of up to 30 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 5 Mbps.* FiOS Internet Service currently is available to many consumers and small businesses in Newark and other parts of Delaware.