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Verizon FiOS TV Is Here!
New Video Service Harnesses the Speed and Capacity of Broadband
With the Power of Broadcast to Offer Consumer Choice in TV
KELLER, Texas, Sept. 22, 2005 /LongDistanceWorld.com/ -- The
future of television arrived today in a blaze of fiber-optic
light, as Verizon unveiled Verizon FiOS TV to residents of this
city 30 miles west of Dallas. Verizon will begin taking customer
orders for FiOS TV today in Keller, and make it available in
communities across Verizon's footprint in the future.
"This is not cable TV. This is not
satellite TV. This is FiOS TV,"
said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group.
"Customers who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection
will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and
capacity of broadband with the power of broadcast to create a
revolutionary, new entertainment experience."
FiOS TV is designed to compete with cable and satellite and win.
It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises network,
which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber 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. Verizon's
network design includes backup facilities not common to
traditional cable systems, such as duplicate "head ends" where the
TV service receives national programming.
Service highlights include:
• A broad collection of all-digital programming and
compelling consumer choice with more than 330 total channels at
launch and more on the way.
• A lead offer with more than 180 digital video and
music channels, for $39.95 a month.
• More than 20 high-definition channels, with
extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound.
• Nearly 600 video-on-demand titles available to
customers now, with 1,800 by year-end.
• A wide range of local and special-interest channels
not found on most cable and satellite systems.
• Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment,
sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for
audiences to find their favorite programming.
• An easy-to-use interactive programming guide that
integrates HD programming, video-on-demand and the digital video
recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user
experience.
Verizon has secured the necessary programming rights to launch its
FiOS TV service in Keller today.
Verizon provides FiOS TV over the largest fiber-to-the-premises
network in the country, delivering the power and capacity of fiber
optics directly into people's homes. A year ago, the company
launched FiOS Internet Service in Keller, where today about 30
percent of eligible households have purchased the high-speed
service. (More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is
available in Verizon's online News Center at http://www.verizon.com/news.)
With today's announcement, Verizon concludes its successful trial
of FiOS TV with employees and Keller residents. Following the
service rollout in Keller, Verizon will offer FiOS TV to
additional households in Wylie, Sachse and Westlake, Texas, later
this year. Those cities negotiated video franchises prior to the
enactment of the state's new franchise law. Verizon will then
expand FiOS TV to cities in Florida, Virginia and California,
where it has already obtained video franchises. In addition to
Wylie, Sachse and Westlake, Verizon is planning FiOS TV deployment
in other Texas communities, and it will offer the service in
additional markets as it gets government approval to do so.
"FiOS TV will connect with customers because it offers them
choice, value and simplicity," Ingalls said. "We have a great
offer today, but it will get even better as we add programming and
interactive services. Our employees and customers helped us
improve the service during trials this summer, and we'll continue
to upgrade based on what we learn from our customers."
FiOS TV subscribers will enjoy 100 percent digital programming, as
well as access to a large selection of video-on-demand content.
Today's cable operators typically have to upsell customers from
analog to digital-tier packages to make more sophisticated
services like video-on-demand and high-definition programming
available, if they offer those services. To simplify customer
choice, FiOS TV packages and prices will be the same everywhere,
with only the local and community channels varying by market.
FiOS TV subscribers can choose from three simple-to-understand
service offerings, each with built-in choice and value. They can
then choose from packages and premium channels with programming
that meets their special interests. Verizon offers three set-top
boxes: standard definition for $3.95 per month; high definition,
which includes HD channels, for $9.95 per month; and a digital
video recorder set-top box with HD channels for $12.95 per month.
The services include:
• Basic, with access to 15-35 local broadcast,
weather and community channels, as well as video-on-demand, for
$12.95 per month. The service is digital with a set-top box. Basic
is also available as an analog service that does not require a
set-top box for viewing.
• Expanded Basic, Verizon's lead offer, delivers more
than 180 video and music channels for $39.95 a month. This tier
includes access to 600 on-demand titles now, with 1,800 by year
end. This service requires a standard-definition set-top box or a
high-definition set-top box for HD channels.
• La Conexion, a tier designed for bilingual
consumers who enjoy TV programs in English and Spanish, for $32.95
per month. The package includes nearly 140 channels with English-
and Spanish-language programming and access to nearly 600
on-demand titles. This service requires a standard-definition
set-top box or a high-definition set-top box for HD channels.
Consumers with a passion for sports or movies can add a 15-channel
sports package for $5.95 a month, and a movie package, with 45
channels of Starz, Encore, Showtime and The Movie Channel, for
$11.95 a month. Or, they can buy both for $14.95 a month. Verizon
also will offer 14 HBO channels and 12 Cinemax channels as premium
services, with each set of channels available for $14.95.
Subscribers who want both HBO and Cinemax will pay $24.95 per
month.
Programming choices for African-American, Asian, Russian and other
multicultural and ethnic audiences will be available in every
market. Because FiOS TV has so much capacity, it will also be an
outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their
diverse programming.
FiOS TV will also offer thousands of hours of on-demand
programming, including hundreds of titles of free video-on-demand
programs across topics such as sports, news, information and
education, home and leisure, family, children's shows and movies.
Customers can order new movie releases for $3.95 each and
selections from a movie library for $2.95 each.
The value of FiOS TV extends to the installation and customer
support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the
service and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and
services. Verizon is waiving the installation fee for up to three
existing TV outlets, and there is no charge to install a needed
optical network terminal at the subscriber's home. Charges for
other installation services, such as additional outlets, may
apply. Verizon provides 24x7 technical assistance by phone from
its Fiber Solutions Centers in Dallas and other cities.
With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon
Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is one of the world's leading
providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work
force of more than 214,000 in four business units: Domestic
Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and
other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon
Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless
network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers across the
United States. Information Services operates directory publishing
businesses and provides electronic commerce services.
International includes wireline and wireless operations and
investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more
information, visit
http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive
speeches and biographies, media contacts, high quality video and
images, and other information are available at Verizon's News
Center on the World Wide Web at
http://www.verizon.com/news. To
receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and
register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news
releases.
Source: Verizon |
