Is it really true, after all this time... finally FiOS to Washington, DC! It may be a while before it's actually available BUT at least it's on the way!
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From the washingtonpost.com
Verizon Strikes Deal to Bring Fios Service to the District
By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, August 8, 2008; Page D01
The District and Verizon Communications have reached an agreement that would bring the company's Fios service to the city.
Eric E. Richardson, director of the D.C. Office of Cable Television, said the agreement requires approval by the mayor's office and the D.C. Council, a process that could be completed "by the end of this year." Still, it may be some time before consumers get the service.
Verizon's Fios network delivers high-speed Internet access, telephone and television service through fiber optic cable. Verizon could not have delivered television service through such a network without reaching a cable franchise agreement with the city.
District residents have been expressing interest in Fios since the service was introduced to the area two years ago. Richardson said demand has only increased as customers in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs have gotten the option to subscribe. "We get quite a few calls," he said.
D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), a member of the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs, agreed. "The amount of e-mails I get goes up whenever there's a spate of advertising about Fios," she said. She characterized the agreement as "a big step" toward getting Fios in the city.
Recent college graduate Jesse Van Tol, who lives in Petworth, said he was surprised when he moved to the District two years ago and found that Fios was not available. "I'm glad to hear it's coming," he said. "It's about time."
Complete article.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Latest News, not so good or is it?
From the Examiner.com article
Lack of progress on Verizon FiOS spurs threat
Jul 5, 2008 3:00 AM
Washington, D.C. - The District’s consumer advocate on utility issues is threatening to back out of a rate settlement with Verizon if the company cannot show it is actively pursuing the expansion of its fiber-optic network into the city.
In a June 25 filing with the Public Service Commission, People’s Counsel Elizabeth Noël demanded that Verizon provide sworn testimony on the company’s plans to deploy FiOS, its high speed cable, voice and Internet service, in the nation’s capital. While FiOS is widely available in D.C.’s Virginia and Maryland suburbs, Noël claims that Verizon has shown no interest in quickly delivering it to city residents.
Verizon DC President William Roberts “promised me personally the Company would expeditiously work to deploy FiOS to D.C. consumers,” Noël said in a statement. “Verizon needs to put its money where its mouth is.”
In a rate settlement reached in March with Noël and the D.C. government, Verizon agreed to cap prices on residential services through Dec. 1, 2009, to train its service repair technicians in order to reduce repeat troubles, to implement customer service training, to maintain its copper wire network, and to pursue a cable franchise that would allow for the deployment of FiOS.
If the People’s Counsel were to back out of the agreement, Noël said Thursday, “all of the issues are in play and we would go to trial.”
Verizon has filed an application with the District for a cable franchise, said spokeswoman Sandy Arnette, and talks to that end continue.
“The District is an important part of our service area,” Arnette said in an e-mail. “But, it’s simply too early to talk about when and where Verizon will offer FiOS TV in D.C.”
Even if Verizon were to move on FiOS today, its customers would still have a long time to wait before connecting, Jim Pappas, president of the union that represents Verizon workers, told the PSC in May. And Verizon customers, he said, are suffering as the company has made a “conscious decision to disinvest in the flat copper network to support their deployment in the FiOS network.”
“Cables are not being replaced,” he said. “Maintenance is not being conducted. We have rat nests out there.”
Verizon claims to have invested more than $100 million in its D.C. network between 2004 and 2007.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
Lack of progress on Verizon FiOS spurs threat
Jul 5, 2008 3:00 AM
Washington, D.C. - The District’s consumer advocate on utility issues is threatening to back out of a rate settlement with Verizon if the company cannot show it is actively pursuing the expansion of its fiber-optic network into the city.
In a June 25 filing with the Public Service Commission, People’s Counsel Elizabeth Noël demanded that Verizon provide sworn testimony on the company’s plans to deploy FiOS, its high speed cable, voice and Internet service, in the nation’s capital. While FiOS is widely available in D.C.’s Virginia and Maryland suburbs, Noël claims that Verizon has shown no interest in quickly delivering it to city residents.
Verizon DC President William Roberts “promised me personally the Company would expeditiously work to deploy FiOS to D.C. consumers,” Noël said in a statement. “Verizon needs to put its money where its mouth is.”
In a rate settlement reached in March with Noël and the D.C. government, Verizon agreed to cap prices on residential services through Dec. 1, 2009, to train its service repair technicians in order to reduce repeat troubles, to implement customer service training, to maintain its copper wire network, and to pursue a cable franchise that would allow for the deployment of FiOS.
If the People’s Counsel were to back out of the agreement, Noël said Thursday, “all of the issues are in play and we would go to trial.”
Verizon has filed an application with the District for a cable franchise, said spokeswoman Sandy Arnette, and talks to that end continue.
“The District is an important part of our service area,” Arnette said in an e-mail. “But, it’s simply too early to talk about when and where Verizon will offer FiOS TV in D.C.”
Even if Verizon were to move on FiOS today, its customers would still have a long time to wait before connecting, Jim Pappas, president of the union that represents Verizon workers, told the PSC in May. And Verizon customers, he said, are suffering as the company has made a “conscious decision to disinvest in the flat copper network to support their deployment in the FiOS network.”
“Cables are not being replaced,” he said. “Maintenance is not being conducted. We have rat nests out there.”
Verizon claims to have invested more than $100 million in its D.C. network between 2004 and 2007.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Carrot for DC Residents, no FiOS but 7Mbps copper DSL
Verizon to Extend 7-Mbps DSL Service to 12 Eastern States
5:30 am on March 14, 2008
U.S. telecom giant, Verizon Communications, has announced plans to extend its 7-Mbps DSL internet service to customers in 12 eastern states and the District of Columbia by the end of 2008, in an effort to quell allegations that it is neglecting its non-FiOS broadband subscribers.
Verizon’s tireless effort to extend fiber-to-the-home networks throughout its service area has reduced its focus on copper-based DSL networks, according to some analysts, and may be one reason that the company is failing to keep up with rivals in that market.
Verizon is now making clear efforts to correct this perceived imbalance, however, announcing in January that it would roll-out faster (7-Mbps) DSL service for 400,000 customers in its West Coast, Great Lakes, South, and Southeastern markets. Just this Wednesday it revealed plans to make this enhanced service available in parts of Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The 7-Mbps service costs $39.99/month with a one-year contractual commitment, or $47.99 on a month-to-month basis.
5:30 am on March 14, 2008
U.S. telecom giant, Verizon Communications, has announced plans to extend its 7-Mbps DSL internet service to customers in 12 eastern states and the District of Columbia by the end of 2008, in an effort to quell allegations that it is neglecting its non-FiOS broadband subscribers.
Verizon’s tireless effort to extend fiber-to-the-home networks throughout its service area has reduced its focus on copper-based DSL networks, according to some analysts, and may be one reason that the company is failing to keep up with rivals in that market.
Verizon is now making clear efforts to correct this perceived imbalance, however, announcing in January that it would roll-out faster (7-Mbps) DSL service for 400,000 customers in its West Coast, Great Lakes, South, and Southeastern markets. Just this Wednesday it revealed plans to make this enhanced service available in parts of Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The 7-Mbps service costs $39.99/month with a one-year contractual commitment, or $47.99 on a month-to-month basis.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Verizon Buys Bendable Fiber Optic Cables for Urban FiOS Expansion
Is this the technical/cost reason Verizon is not adding FiOS in DC?
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Verizon Buys Bendable Fiber Optic Cables for Urban FiOS Expansion
America’s leading fiber-optic broadband provider, Verizon Communications, placed an order with Corning Inc. last week to purchase that company’s ClearCurve bendable optical fiber cables so as to extend its FiOS broadband and TV network into large apartment buildings in Eastern U.S. cities.
Verizon’s FiOS network has made significant inroads in suburbs of cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., but gaining a presence in urban regions has proven problematic for a number of reasons. Now, as the company finally begins to gain franchises in urban centers, it has promised to launch FiOS in one or more major cities later this year.
Multiple Dwelling Units (or MDUs), however, which are home to many big city residents, must be wired with bendable cables, as opposed to standard optical fiber.
“This is the year that Verizon moves into high gear in deploying (television and Internet services) to apartment buildings, condos and similar multiple-dwelling units,” commented Verizon’s chief network officer, Claire Beth Nogay. “Corning’s bendable optical fiber cable is particularly valuable in the tight spaces typical of these sorts of buildings.”
ClearCurve cables are several hundred times more bendable than standard fiber, according to Corning.
Posting here.
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Verizon Buys Bendable Fiber Optic Cables for Urban FiOS Expansion
America’s leading fiber-optic broadband provider, Verizon Communications, placed an order with Corning Inc. last week to purchase that company’s ClearCurve bendable optical fiber cables so as to extend its FiOS broadband and TV network into large apartment buildings in Eastern U.S. cities.
Verizon’s FiOS network has made significant inroads in suburbs of cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., but gaining a presence in urban regions has proven problematic for a number of reasons. Now, as the company finally begins to gain franchises in urban centers, it has promised to launch FiOS in one or more major cities later this year.
Multiple Dwelling Units (or MDUs), however, which are home to many big city residents, must be wired with bendable cables, as opposed to standard optical fiber.
“This is the year that Verizon moves into high gear in deploying (television and Internet services) to apartment buildings, condos and similar multiple-dwelling units,” commented Verizon’s chief network officer, Claire Beth Nogay. “Corning’s bendable optical fiber cable is particularly valuable in the tight spaces typical of these sorts of buildings.”
ClearCurve cables are several hundred times more bendable than standard fiber, according to Corning.
Posting here.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Union Group Tells Verizon To Get On The High-Speed Bus
Union Group Tells Verizon To Get On The High-Speed Bus
Monday, February 11, 2008; Posted: 06:52 PM
Feb 11, 2008 (Telecom Policy Report/Access Intelligence via COMTEX) --
-- City busses in the nation's capital are sporting a new message to the District of Columbia City Council from D.C. residents: "This bus isn't the only thing passing you by. Verizon is bringing high-speed Internet to the suburbs: Not to DC."
While Verizon has been advertising its high-speed FiOS network on Washington, D.C.'s airwaves, plans to actually install FiOS in the city are far from the drawing board, and several D.C.-based organizations are calling on the D.C. City Council to push back.
"Verizon's cherry-picking and, at the moment, D.C.'s just not low-hanging fruit," says Jim Pappas, president of Communications Workers of America Local 2336. According to Pappas, Verizon has moved more than a third of its jobs from the District to the suburbs during the past three years, leaving D.C. residents with increasingly poor phone service.
Entire article.
Monday, February 11, 2008; Posted: 06:52 PM
Feb 11, 2008 (Telecom Policy Report/Access Intelligence via COMTEX) --
-- City busses in the nation's capital are sporting a new message to the District of Columbia City Council from D.C. residents: "This bus isn't the only thing passing you by. Verizon is bringing high-speed Internet to the suburbs: Not to DC."
While Verizon has been advertising its high-speed FiOS network on Washington, D.C.'s airwaves, plans to actually install FiOS in the city are far from the drawing board, and several D.C.-based organizations are calling on the D.C. City Council to push back.
"Verizon's cherry-picking and, at the moment, D.C.'s just not low-hanging fruit," says Jim Pappas, president of Communications Workers of America Local 2336. According to Pappas, Verizon has moved more than a third of its jobs from the District to the suburbs during the past three years, leaving D.C. residents with increasingly poor phone service.
Entire article.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Connect-DC, Speed Matters Campaign
From the http://www.connect-dc.org/ SpeedMatters campaign website:
"Verizon is leaving DC behind. Verizon is building a world-class, high-speed network called FiOS throughout the metropolitan area -- but not in DC. Residents of the District of Columbia deserve better. Verizon is neglecting its customers by denying DC access to the best available technology. Once again, our children, our neighborhoods, and our local businesses will be left waiting."
You can sign-up for ongoing information updates at Connect DC from Speed Matters.
From CWA, Communications Workers of America
Looks like the unions are engaged in this issue, too!
Here's a recent email that was sent by CWA. The name in the text below has been changed but the email text is word for word:
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Dear "Joe",
Verizon is leaving DC behind.
The telecom giant is investing in new networks and services—including cable TV and super-fast Internet—in the suburbs, but it's ignoring District of Columbia residents like you. That means people in DC are missing out on the faster access, improved service quality, and economic growth enjoyed by folks in Virginia and Maryland.
That's not right, and Connect-DC is committed to fixing it.
Connect-DC is a partnership between CWA Local 2336 and DC Jobs with Justice, a workers' rights organization. With the support of the Speed Matters campaign, they have been raising awareness about Verizon's neglect of the District of Columbia. You may have already seen
Connect-DC's ads on buses throughout the city. Now, Connect-DC is stepping up its efforts ahead of this week's city government hearings on Verizon's service quality. Help us collect more information so we can hold Verizon accountable for the current state of its DC network. If you are a Verizon customer, please take a moment to complete our customer survey:
http://www.connect-dc.org
Verizon has been building its world-class, high speed FiOS network throughout the DC metropolitan area—but not in DC. It's moved more than a third of its jobs from the District to the suburbs, so the advances made outside DC come at the expense of service inside the District.
While Fairfax and Montgomery Counties are reaping the benefits of FiOS, DC residents are stuck with an aging copper network that provides unreliable phone and slower Internet service. And Verizon has shown little willingness to devote the necessary time and money to maintain its existing cables.
That means District of Columbia residents remain stuck on the wrong side of the Digital Divide, missing out on new technologies that are essential to quality service, good jobs, and economic development. DC students may not be able to access online educational tools. Elderly residents may not have the reliable phone service they need. And the city's economy may miss out on the thousands of jobs created by FiOS. Help us understand the full extent of Verizon's service troubles in DC by completing our short survey:
http://www.connect-dc.org
It's time DC residents stop letting Verizon leave the city behind. Do your part to protect DC schools, businesses, and communities by filling out our Verizon customer service survey today:
http://www.connect-dc.org
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Beth Allen
speedmatters.org Online Mobilzation Coordinator
Here's a recent email that was sent by CWA. The name in the text below has been changed but the email text is word for word:
------------------------------------------
Dear "Joe",
Verizon is leaving DC behind.
The telecom giant is investing in new networks and services—including cable TV and super-fast Internet—in the suburbs, but it's ignoring District of Columbia residents like you. That means people in DC are missing out on the faster access, improved service quality, and economic growth enjoyed by folks in Virginia and Maryland.
That's not right, and Connect-DC is committed to fixing it.
Connect-DC is a partnership between CWA Local 2336 and DC Jobs with Justice, a workers' rights organization. With the support of the Speed Matters campaign, they have been raising awareness about Verizon's neglect of the District of Columbia. You may have already seen
Connect-DC's ads on buses throughout the city. Now, Connect-DC is stepping up its efforts ahead of this week's city government hearings on Verizon's service quality. Help us collect more information so we can hold Verizon accountable for the current state of its DC network. If you are a Verizon customer, please take a moment to complete our customer survey:
http://www.connect-dc.org
Verizon has been building its world-class, high speed FiOS network throughout the DC metropolitan area—but not in DC. It's moved more than a third of its jobs from the District to the suburbs, so the advances made outside DC come at the expense of service inside the District.
While Fairfax and Montgomery Counties are reaping the benefits of FiOS, DC residents are stuck with an aging copper network that provides unreliable phone and slower Internet service. And Verizon has shown little willingness to devote the necessary time and money to maintain its existing cables.
That means District of Columbia residents remain stuck on the wrong side of the Digital Divide, missing out on new technologies that are essential to quality service, good jobs, and economic development. DC students may not be able to access online educational tools. Elderly residents may not have the reliable phone service they need. And the city's economy may miss out on the thousands of jobs created by FiOS. Help us understand the full extent of Verizon's service troubles in DC by completing our short survey:
http://www.connect-dc.org
It's time DC residents stop letting Verizon leave the city behind. Do your part to protect DC schools, businesses, and communities by filling out our Verizon customer service survey today:
http://www.connect-dc.org
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Beth Allen
speedmatters.org Online Mobilzation Coordinator
Statement from the DC Office of the People's Counsel
From the Office of the People's Counsel for the District of Columbia.
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The article is titled FiOS: MYTH OR REALITY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Interesting Q and A from the article...
What can concerned citizens do who want FiOS in D.C.?
Contact Verizon, and let your voice be heard. The Office encourages interested residents to contact the Company directly regarding its deployment plans.
Also, a statement from Verizon DC Vice President, Hank Ambrose:
When will Verizon offer FiOS in D.C.?
Based on the Office’s request for information regarding the deployment of FiOS in the District, Verizon DC Vice President, Hank Ambrose said, “Building a network as complex and far-reaching as our FiOS network takes time, and it will take awhile to get to all areas in which we will eventually deploy. The deployment of FiOS in the District will be based on whether it is a prudent business decision for Verizon.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The article is titled FiOS: MYTH OR REALITY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Interesting Q and A from the article...
What can concerned citizens do who want FiOS in D.C.?
Contact Verizon, and let your voice be heard. The Office encourages interested residents to contact the Company directly regarding its deployment plans.
Also, a statement from Verizon DC Vice President, Hank Ambrose:
When will Verizon offer FiOS in D.C.?
Based on the Office’s request for information regarding the deployment of FiOS in the District, Verizon DC Vice President, Hank Ambrose said, “Building a network as complex and far-reaching as our FiOS network takes time, and it will take awhile to get to all areas in which we will eventually deploy. The deployment of FiOS in the District will be based on whether it is a prudent business decision for Verizon.”
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