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NYC: Verizon Cable Franchise Agreement

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:42:41 -0400

Verizon Cable Franchise Agreement: $70 Billion Bun That Needs More Time in the Oven
Chris Keeley

New York City’s cable marketplace is currently divided into territories, with some of the city controlled by Time Warner and other portions by Cablevision. New York City and Verizon recently reached a 12-year, first-of-its-kind cable franchise agreement which will allow Verizon to offer the “triple play” of services – cable TV, phone and internet service – throughout all five boroughs of the city. With this agreement, New York City is calling off a long-held, city-imposed truce between the city’s two cable providers, Time Warner and Cablevision, and other competitors.

NY: Public Hearing on proposed Verizon cable TV franchise tomorrow

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:54:58 -0400

from: Civil Defense

Public Hearing on proposed Verizon cable TV franchise tomorrow

The City and Verizon have negotiated a deal that will have a greater impact on our television watching and Internet usage than any other action the City or a company will take in the next 20 years – and you have been shut out of the discussion. The 6-billion-dollar deal (see my earlier post for background) to build a fiber optic network throughout the entire city was negotiated behind closed doors.

NYC: Consumer Groups Want Verizon Franchise Delay

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:45:34 -0400

from: Crain's New York

Consumer Groups Want Verizon Franchise Delay

Crain's New York Business, May 20, 2008
By Amanda Fung

Consumer advocate groups Common Cause New York and People’s Production House, as well as some City Council members, say Verizon's deal with the city merits further scrutiny.

More disturbing numbers for telcos

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:55:58 -0400

from: Telephony Online

More disturbing numbers for telcos

May 13, 2008 11:02 AM, By Carol Wilson

Two separate sources this week are offering up more analysis showing the telcos are falling behind the cable companies in the broadband and video battle.

Information Gatekeepers, an analyst firm that once predicted the telcos would overtake cable in broadband penetration, this week issued its High-Speed Access Report for the first quarter of 2008, showing cable is outperforming its forecast and the telcos are under-performing what IGI had forecast in 2006. The latest report is in keeping with what IGI began saying in 2007, when it warned that both AT&T and Verizon were falling behind in implementing high-speed access plans, and thus their data revenues would not make up for lost wireline access income.

NY: Verizon TV proposal needs tuning

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:44:31 -0400

from: NY Daily News

Verizon TV proposal needs tuning

Friday, April 25th 2008, 4:00 AM

Telecom giant Verizon has finally submitted its long-awaited proposal for a competing cable television franchise for New York City.

If you live in the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens and you're eager to ditch Time Warner or Cablevision, take a number.

TX: Book Report Raises Questions About Texas’ SB5

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:46:31 -0400

from: Blogging Broadband

Book Report Raises Questions About Texas’ SB5

Those keeping score know that the Texas legislature really started the state-mandated video franchise train down the tracks. SB5 was passed in Texas at the end of 2005. It was a natural place for the phone companies to get the ball rolling, as SBC, now the new AT&T, called Texas home. Since SB5 passed, a likely-unprecedented wave of states adopted some form of “shall issue” video franchising — all of it aimed at helping the phone companies get into the cable business.

NY: Lobbying Albany: A Recession-Proof Industry

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:54:27 -0400

from: Village Voice

Lobbying Albany: A Recession-Proof Industry
Posted by Duncan Meisel at 4:25 PM, April 17, 2008

Wall Street may be taking a beating recently, but at least one other New York industry seems recession-proof: lobbying. Once again, spending on lobbying broke records, with an all-time high of $171.2 million spent on influencing state lawmakers, according to the Commission on Public Integrity which released its annual report on lobbying of the New York State legislature.

Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Ads

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:43:54 -0400

from: MultiChannel News

Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Ads
Telco Alleges Cabler Makes False Claims About FiOS Service
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2008 10:21:00 PM

Verizon Communications filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Time Warner Cable, alleging the cable operator’s TV ads make “blatantly false” statements about its FiOS services in an attempt to dissuade customers from switching.

NYC: Verizon files to break cable monopolies

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:37:04 -0400

from: Cranes New York

Verizon files to break cable monopolies

The telecommunications giant submitted a proposal that would make it the first company to offer cable TV service throughout New York City.
April 15. 2008 5:59PMBy: Amanda Fung

Verizon Communications Inc. would be the first company to offer cable TV service throughout all of New York City under a plan filed with city officials Tuesday.

TN: Nice Lobby

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:04:40 -0400

from: Light Reading

Nice Lobby
APRIL 10, 2008
Discuss >

1:00 PM -- There's one industry in the U.S. economy that is certainly not in a recession: lobbying. In New York state alone, lobbyists had a golden year in 2007, taking in a record $172.1 million. There are a lot of people and companies to thank for that, but none more so than Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board).

NY: FiOS Internet Takes Manhattan

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:16:29 -0400

from:

FiOS Internet Takes Manhattan
Telco Offers High-Speed To Pair of Apartment Complexes; Sill Lacks Video Franchise

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/24/2008 8:31:00 AM

Verizon Communications has inked a deal to Internet service at up to 50 megabits per second, over its FiOS fiber-optic network, to residents in two Manhattan apartment complexes – but for now, the telco's still unable to proffer TV services in New York City.

MA: Verizon under fire for FiOS

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 08:07:17 -0400

from: The Sun Chronicle

Verizon under fire for FiOS
BY TED NESI / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 1:05 AM EDT

Verizon has been under fire in recent months from critics who question why the company’s rollout of FiOS, its new fiber-optic cable television and Internet service, has mostly ignored Massachusetts’ cities, including Attleboro, Boston and Brockton, in favor of suburbs.

Verizon to New England: Bye-Bye

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:11:49 -0400

from: Computer World

Verizon to New England: Bye-Bye

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March 12, 2008
By Robert L. Mitchell

It looks like the Verizon selloff of its Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont landline business to FairPoint Communications is a done deal. All three states have given their approval, with conditions. That deal will have a huge impact on the evolution of high speed broadband in Northern New England.

Verizon Gets Cozy With P2P File Sharers

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:41:00 -0400

from: NY Times

Verizon Gets Cozy With P2P File - Sharers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 14, 2008

Filed at 2:09 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Peer-to-peer file sharing, the primary vehicle for online piracy, has been as unpopular with Internet service providers as it has been popular with users.

MA: Paying a bundle for cable upgrade

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:04:13 -0500

Note: Unlike AT&T, Verizon doesn't demand public interest concessions via state video franchises before upgrading their network, in fact Verizon seems to have had no problem negotiating hundreds of local franchises in MA, PA and NY. Perhaps AT&T should attend a communications seminar at Verizon?

from: Boston.com