NYC, FiOS is on the way
April 11, 2008 by Henry E. Powderly II
Talk about the Western Front.
While Verizon is warring with Cablevision on Long Island for television/Internet/telephone dominance via its FiOS service, the New York-based telecommunications company will attack its city base next.
New York City has announced it will now accept proposals from new cable companies, and Verizon is reportedly ready to submit one.
Perhaps that’s why we’re beginning to see Time Warner ads bashing Verizon. (Video Below: In this case Verizon is suing Time Warner for being misleading in this ad.) We’re already so used to Cablevision’s tactics, including a masterful campaign to replace the term DSL with “phone company high-speed Internet.”
From the Crain’s story:
The telecom giant’s plan to launch television service over its new fiber-optic cable, dubbed FiOS, has been stymied in the past. The City Council authorized the Bloomberg administration to open the cable TV market to competition in October 2006 but the city failed to issue the request for proposals, the next step in allowing in new providers.
“We are anxious to review the solicitation, and our intention is to respond to it,” said a Verizon spokesman, who could not provide specify how soon the company will respond.
As a former FIOS customer I do not wish them well. They refuse to deliver MSNBC on Long Island, probably because of its political content. The sales people didn’t even seem to know the station was not being carried. They also screwed up the billing when I left them. Moreover there is absolutely nobody you can talk to there.
I tried several times and was left on hold 15 minutes twice and 1 hour a third time before I gave up. Someone ought to tell these folks that there is competition out there, and they will eat your lunch.
Cablevision, which has had its own failings in the past, has been on a steep learning curve, and is currently saying YUMMMMM while munching on Verizon’s repast.
Poor Verizon, formerly, Bell Atlantic, NY Telephone, AT&T, and one or two others I forgot, used to be the only game in town. Now there is competition. Poor lads, things just aint the same.
If there is someone on the senior management level at Verizon is reading this, I’d love to hear from you.
Do your research before you make accusations- Verizon isn’t refusing to do anything. They cannot GET MSNBC.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6539439.html