• Verizon’s FiOS TV service wins in Mass., expands in N.J.
By Traci Patterson
Residents of Ashland and Plymouth, Mass., will soon have access to Verizon’s FiOS TV service, thanks to two newly approved agreements authorizing the telco to offer its video service in the areas. Also this week, Verizon announced that it has made FiOS TV service available to residents of North Andover, Mass., where it received a cable TV franchise license on June 2.
This makes 74 the total number of Massachusetts communities where Verizon's FiOS TV is, or will soon be, available . Verizon currently offers FiOS TV in 72 Massachusetts communities, as well as other locations in New York, New Jersey, California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.
And consumers in six more New Jersey cities and towns now have access to Verizon’s FiOS TV service. FiOS TV and broadband services are now available in parts of Bayonne and West New York in Hudson County, Perth Amboy and Plainfield in Middlesex County, Loch Arbour in Monmouth County, and Lakewood in Ocean County. The latest expansion makes 287 the number of New Jersey cities and towns where FiOS services are available.
• Qwest Broadband hits De Smet, S.D.
By Traci Patterson
Qwest Communications’ high-speed Internet service is now available in De Smet, S.D. Qwest Broadband includes Microsoft Windows Live at no additional charge. Windows Live OneCare, included at no charge with Windows Live, offers customers a protection firewall, anti-virus, file backup, parental controls and more.
Qwest Connect Silver (connection speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps) with Windows Live starts at $29.99 per month when bundled with a Qwest home phone package. Qwest Connect Platinum (connection speeds of up to 7 Mbps) with Windows Live starts at $36.99 per month when bundled with a Qwest home phone package.
And with Qwest’s Price for Life Guarantee, customers who sign a two-year agreement receive the same monthly price for their Qwest Broadband service for as long as they maintain the service. Otherwise, the price is guaranteed for one year.
• Sprint granted extension for vacating spectrum
By Traci Patterson
Sprint, who was facing a June 26 deadline to vacate channels that its Nextel wireless network uses in the 800 MHz band, has been granted more time by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The swap is designed to eliminate radio interference in the 800 MHz band for the thousands of public safety agencies nationwide that regularly use it.
The deadline was set three years ago, but work on the swap has been hampered by technical and operational problems.
More Broadband Direct:
• CableLabs CEO offers up tru2way to telcos during NXTcomm keynote
• Telecom warning: Take steps to innovate, or else
• Big Ten Network scores a deal with Comcast
• FCC to slap Verizon for retention practices
• CMC adds 4 more companies to HITS AxIS roster
• Harmonic celebrates 20-year milestone; gears up for Expo
• Survey: 51% of telecom execs say bandwidth will break Internet
• Motorola shares hit 5-year low
• Canada charges Nortel execs with '02 fraud
• Yahoo management in turmoil
• Broadband Briefs for 6/20/08
