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.

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.

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.

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

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.”

WashingtonPost Front Page Business Article

OK, so it's been months since my last post... June to be exact.

But, I have not stopped inquiring about FIOS in DC (or lack thereof).

I've talked with DC City officials who said they would look into it, haven't heard anything. I've talked with other DC City officials who said they didn't know. I've emailed the Mayor... inquities like that, but no luck.

But TODAY there is a front page business section Page D1 article in the Washington Post that discusses this exact issue... so I'm not alone.

In any case, the article is called "Fios in You Neighborhood? Don't Ask Verizon" by Rob Pegoraro Sept 27, 2007.

Here's a small blurb from the article...

"Searching for service by typing in a District address on Verizon's Web site generated only a bland, meaningless assurance: "Our network is continually being expanded." Verizon's public relations department was no more informative.
"We've not announced plans at this point for D.C.," spokeswoman Christy Reap wrote in an e-mail."

So, I have nothing new to announce for those of you eager for FiOS in DC but at least it's getting some attention from the media.

Maybe that will help?!