Dover Residents Are One Step Closer to Real Cable TV Choice

Verizon Continues to Obtain Cable Franchises in Delaware

DOVER, Del., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Dover residents are a major step
closer to real choice for their cable television services, thanks to Monday
night's (Jan. 14) unanimous City Council vote authorizing Verizon to offer its
fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV here.
Dover now joins Arden, Ardencroft, Ardentown, Bellefonte, Cheswold,
Delaware City, Leipsic, Little Creek, Middletown, Newark, Odessa and Townsend
in approving Verizon's franchise agreement. Last October, the Delaware Public
Service Commission approved Verizon's franchise to serve the unincorporated
areas of the state.
FiOS TV, provided over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network, is now available
to about 105,000 households in Delaware, and that number is growing rapidly.
Verizon also offers FiOS TV in parts of California, Florida, Indiana,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Texas and Virginia. New markets are added as the company obtains
franchises giving it the legal authority to do so.
"Last night's City Council vote puts Dover consumers a major step closer
to true competitive choice in video service providers," said William R. Allan,
president of Verizon Delaware. "Competition drives innovation, value and
service quality. It puts the consumer in control.
"Verizon will continue to compete aggressively for consumers' business in
Delaware with our FiOS services -- fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic
network," Allan added.
Verizon currently is building its new, all-fiber network in more than half
of the states where it provides landline phone service, including the First
State. The new technology uses fiber-optic connections -- instead of copper
wire -- directly into homes or businesses to enable a broad array of voice,
data and video services. Verizon is the only company to connect homes and
small businesses directly with fiber optics on a large scale.
Verizon FiOS TV provides an extensive array of digital video and music
channels, high-definition channels, on-demand titles and features such as FiOS
TV Widgets, which supplies one-touch, on-demand access to real-time local
weather and traffic.
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 of up to 15
Mbps.* FiOS Internet Service currently is available to many consumers and
small businesses in Delaware.
* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a
leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication
innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.
Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving
63.7 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include
Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to
customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the
benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services
over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon
has a diverse workforce of nearly 238,000 and last year generated consolidated
operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit
www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches
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SOURCE Verizon

Sandra Arnette of Verizon, +1-302-576-5410, sandra.u.arnette@verizon.com