The New York Public Service Commission issued June 20 an order confirming Verizon's video franchises in the Long Island communities of the Town of Oyster Bay and the village of Cedarhurst. The Town of Oyster Bay granted the company a franchise on May 9, and the village of Cedarhurst granted a franchise to the company on May 1. The commission has the authority to review franchise agreements between local governments in New York and cable service providers, such as Verizon, to make sure the agreements comply with statewide rules and regulations. Earlier this year, Verizon began offering FiOS TV to residents in the Long Island communities of Massapequa Park and the Town of Hempstead, as well as the Rockland County communities of Nyack, South Nyack and Upper Nyack. FiOS TV is Verizon's state-of-the-art fiber optic television service, which is delivered via the company's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. Verizon currently is bringing fiber connections directly to homes in more than half the states where it offers landline communications services, including more than 150 communities in New York.

The following statement should be attributed to Monica Azare, Verizon senior vice president for New York and Connecticut.

"The PSC's confirmation of the franchise agreements for the Town of Oyster Bay and the village of Cedarhurst helps us to provide the choice and competition that New York consumers demand. This is an important victory for cable consumers who want a choice for their video services.

"We believe these communities - and all communities where we plan to deliver FiOS TV - benefit most from policies that recognize the world has changed and that technology offers consumers a real alternative to cable TV.

"We look forward to offering more New York consumers the benefits and innovation of FiOS TV."