Boston, MA - Verizon

I have no more information, although I know that the "Cable Committee " in Middleboro is in negotiations with Verizon for TV service as well.

One thing of concern that I've heard is that Verizon has no immediate plans to light up developments with underground cabling. Since this has to be a pretty large portion of developments since the mid-90's I don't know how much market penetration Verizon expects in communities that a large portion of build-up over the past 10 years (like Middleboro). If anyone has heard when they plan to expand to those developments I'd love to know.

I can't wait to find out the details on this. We have fiber on our street and i'm using it for internet and phone service. Dying to hear what will be offered for HD programming. Getting impatient with Dish Network.

Derry NH and Nashua NH are test markets. I heard on another thread they are taking names for Nashua now.

I want INHD/2 and HDNet/Movies though. I would hate to have to choose between the two. =(

I live in Nashua and will be having FiOS broadband and telephone service installed next week. When I spoke with the rep from Verizon, they said they hoped to have TV service available in the not-too-distant future, but wouldn't give me any ballpark date. They did offer a DirecTV deal until Verizon's TV offering was available.

They installed the optical network terminal (ONT) on my house yesterday, along with the fiber drop from the pole to the house. The inside work is scheduled for Monday.

Cost for 5M/2M FiOS broadband is $35/month (one year commitment, no installation fee, free wired router), and also gets me a $5 discount on my telephone service through Verizon. Saves me $8/month over Comcast's broadband access charge. We seem to have a fairly high density of homes in my neighborhood using Comcast, so their claimed "6M" download speed is more like 2M in my tests.

Tony

I live in Sudbury, MA and have had the FIOS internet service for a while. I can't wait till they get the TV service here it would be a nice drop in price from comcast. and an increase in HD content. I was told Q1 2006 for availablilty.

I'd really like to know what the latency is on FiOS. I've heard fast speeds but high latency. Test with online gaming and see if you get fragged to hell and back due to lag.

I've signed up on the VZ's website but they haven't called me in Derry yet.

From the Info Technology Advisory Council Minutes 11/2/05 for Belmont, MA


http://www.town.belmont.ma.us/Public...83D56-00783D57


maybe in February....yeah!!!!

Anyone in the area have the TV service and care to comment?

How will this work? Through the phone lines, cable lines?

Looked at the Verizon site but couldn't find an answer.

Thread added to the Index. (May take a day or two to update)

Is there a place you can find out what streets in FIOS towns are wired? I know if you enter your address on the FIOS site it will tell you YES, but they Verizon calls up and says not your street yet.

The reason I ask is I'm planning on moving and want a FIOS ready or capable home.

Does FIOS HD have NESN? VZ came through months ago and wired up my section of Derry NH. As soon as it's available and has NESN I'm getting away from Comcast

I heard in one of the other threads that they are in negotiations right now over it...I'd call verizon and ask/encourage them to get it completed.

When I called to order FiOS Internet today after getting my "Current Resident" letter on Saturday that it was available. I asked for it again. I also asked why I wasn't e-mailed or called when I filled out the online "LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE" and the customer service rep. told me, "If you are on a DNC (Do Not Call) list you will not be notified even if you fill out an online form asking to be notified." This is because they have to get a phone call from you and verify that you are who you say your are. Pretty crappy that it doesn't mention that at all. I scheduled my FiOS internet install for next week.

I asked about FiOS TV and she said 3-6 months for Salem/Derry, NH which would be the first towns in NH to get it.

NESN SD - yes
NESN HD - no

Thanks for that description, exactly what I have been noticing in my area, sleeply little town on the MA-NH stateline.

Something to look forward to in the next year or so.

Does this mean consumers have a choice now or does FiOS-TV = no more Cable service?

How about the video transport tech.? Are they using modern codecs? Do their STBs have Firewire outs?

From what the website shows, they are using the same boxes Comcast is, Moto 64xx or 34xx with HDMI? outs. Firewire ports on the back as well.

It's fibre to the ONT and then RG6 to the cablebox as far as I can tell. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Full Press release here http://newscenter.verizon.com/proact....vtml?id=93326


CBS and Verizon Reach Comprehensive Retransmission Consent Agreement

Verizon FiOS TV Will Carry CBS-Owned Television Stations and Local Video-On-Demand Content Deal Also Includes CBS Television Network VOD Content

March 20, 2006

Media contacts:
Sharon Cohen-Hagar, Verizon , 972-718-6205
Shannon Jacobs, CBS , 212-975-3161

NEW YORK - Verizon and CBS today announced a comprehensive retransmission consent and video-on-demand (VOD) agreement, which includes analog, digital, multicast and high-definition rights to programming on CBS owned-and-operated television stations; local VOD content from those stations; and CBS Television Network VOD content, including such current popular network series as "CSI," "NCIS" and "Survivor."

Full press release here http://newscenter.verizon.com/proact....vtml?id=93328

News Release

Verizon Seeks FCC Intervention to Free Cablevision's Stranglehold on Sports Programming

Cablevision's Anti-Competitive Behavior in New York and Massachusetts Runs Afoul of 1992 Cable Consumer Protection Act

March 21, 2006

Media contacts:
Brian Blevins, 202-515-2515
Sharon Cohen-Hagar, 214-789-7134

WASHINGTON - Stymied by extended stonewalling by Cablevision Systems Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Rainbow Media Holdings, Verizon has filed a formal program access complaint with the Federal Communications Commission to secure Rainbow's sports programming for Verizon's FiOS TV customers in New York and New England.

For more than a year, despite repeated requests to negotiate by Verizon, Rainbow has refused to begin to negotiate a carriage agreement for Fox Sports Network New York, Fox Sports Network New England and Madison Square Garden Network - all controlled by Rainbow.


If you read down the release NESN is in there as well?
Rainbow also operates and owns a 50 percent interest in a regional sports network that holds rights to produce and show games of the Boston Celtics, among other teams in the Boston area.

Thanks for the updates.

Looks like this service is going to keep a lot of lawyers busy.

I though Rainbow Media bought the other 50% this past off season.

Oh well one thing is Rainbow Media does all the HD games for the Celtics, Comcast does nothing.

I have been calling Verizon weekly to see when NESN-HD would be available as I live in Reading. Last month they were saying hopefully by the start of the regular seaon, now they are saying May at the earliest. This is a showstopper for me as I can't go back to SD for the Red Sox games. Wish the lawyers would work faster to get this done!

Sorry, it was busy at work last week. The ONT has copper, coax, and ethernet connections. You have fibre coming into the ONT which is basically a multiplexer, then each kind of cable goes of from there. My phone is now on fibre as well. No more copper wires for phone. I have this little box in my home now which is a mini APC UPS that is good for 2-8hrs. If you lose power you lose phone now as well, hence the need for the UPS.