Residents of Roslyn Harbor on Long Island and the Town of Wappinger in Dutchess County are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television service, thanks to newly approved agreements authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service, delivered over the most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.

The Roslyn Harbor Board of Trustees granted a video franchise to Verizon March 19, while Wappinger's Board of Trustees approved a franchise Monday, March 24 paving the way for video choice in the communities. This vote brings to 102 the total number of New York communities that have approved video franchises for Verizon.

As with all local franchise approvals in New York, the agreements between Verizon and Roslyn Harbor and Wappinger are subject to review by the New York State Public Service Commission.

Verizon's FiOS TV is a formidable competitor to cable and satellite, offering a broad collection of all-digital programming, 31 high-definition channels in the New York market and access to more than 10,000 on-demand titles, 60 percent of which are free.

Verizon's fiber network 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. In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice service.