Verizon FIOS Update (Clearwater, FL):

LonghornXP

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A few days ago I read in the St. Pete Times about a gas break that occured on Highland Ave. and Nursery Rd. in Clearwater, FL (on the border of Largo, FL) that involved Verizon FIOS installation underground. The article made it a point to say it was Verizon running fiber optic cables underground via the sewers. So this prompted me to call Bob Elek to get another update on FIOS rollouts.

It seems this article is indeed correct and this is fiber for FIOS services as well and not something else like hooking up a new business etc. I've also been told that FIOS services will be available to nearly all Clearwater and Largo residents before years end of 2009. Most will have service available within the first half of 2009 though. Also depending on hurricane season along with other issues Seminole and Pinellas Park could also see heavy availability of FIOS services as well.

Keep in mind that anyone living in apartments and condos might not have services available because the apartment owners and/or condo HOA need to allow Verizon to run fiber optic cables to each unit. Townhomes and Villas in most areas shouldn't be a problem though but some "could" require approval from the HOA.

So for those of you within this area awaiting an alternative to BHN you may soon have your choice of Verizon FIOS services available to you.
 
A few days ago I read in the St. Pete Times about a gas break that occured on Highland Ave. and Nursery Rd. in Clearwater, FL (on the border of Largo, FL) that involved Verizon FIOS installation underground. The article made it a point to say it was Verizon running fiber optic cables underground via the sewers. So this prompted me to call Bob Elek to get another update on FIOS rollouts.

It seems this article is indeed correct and this is fiber for FIOS services as well and not something else like hooking up a new business etc. I've also been told that FIOS services will be available to nearly all Clearwater and Largo residents before years end of 2009. Most will have service available within the first half of 2009 though. Also depending on hurricane season along with other issues Seminole and Pinellas Park could also see heavy availability of FIOS services as well.

Keep in mind that anyone living in apartments and condos might not have services available because the apartment owners and/or condo HOA need to allow Verizon to run fiber optic cables to each unit. Townhomes and Villas in most areas shouldn't be a problem though but some "could" require approval from the HOA.

So for those of you within this area awaiting an alternative to BHN you may soon have your choice of Verizon FIOS services available to you.

Late 2009 for all of Clearwater?????? I thought they said St. Pete would have service by the end of 2009.... this is going to put St. Pete into 2010. Oh well.
 
Late 2009 for all of Clearwater?????? I thought they said St. Pete would have service by the end of 2009.... this is going to put St. Pete into 2010. Oh well.

I believe they said that some of St. Pete would have service by the end of 2009 which is still correct. Beyond that I doubt that "all" of St. Pete will be wired even after 2010 either but I'd love to be wrong though.

Its however clear that they feel that nearly "all" of both Clearwater and Largo will be wired by the end of 2009. Now being wired is one thing but some customers who are wired say in November of 2009 won't have service until early 2010 for example. Being wired and service ready are two different things as I'm told.
 
I believe they said that some of St. Pete would have service by the end of 2009 which is still correct. Beyond that I doubt that "all" of St. Pete will be wired even after 2010 either but I'd love to be wrong though.

Its however clear that they feel that nearly "all" of both Clearwater and Largo will be wired by the end of 2009. Now being wired is one thing but some customers who are wired say in November of 2009 won't have service until early 2010 for example. Being wired and service ready are two different things as I'm told.

It seems they have slowed expansion. They rolled through Tampa at five times the speed they are moving now in Pinellas. I think they have gotten to the point where they really need to recoup some of that money they couldn't afford to invest in this project. I'll bet they have laid off expansion crews. It'll be 2012 before they finish Pinellas at the rate they are going.
 
It seems they have slowed expansion. They rolled through Tampa at five times the speed they are moving now in Pinellas. I think they have gotten to the point where they really need to recoup some of that money they couldn't afford to invest in this project. I'll bet they have laid off expansion crews. It'll be 2012 before they finish Pinellas at the rate they are going.

Quite a bit of both Clearwater and Largo need fiber runs underground compared to on the poles like much of Tampa so that is why it "seems" like they are taking longer. Once those parts are wired and they move further towards St. Pete I'd bet that the speed will be much faster. Just give things some time and keep in mind that Tampa took nearly four years to get completed assuming its even complete yet. Verizon couldn't start wiring much of Pinellas until recently because of a non compete clause when they sold their Americast system to Knology.
 
Quite a bit of both Clearwater and Largo need fiber runs underground compared to on the poles like much of Tampa so that is why it "seems" like they are taking longer. Once those parts are wired and they move further towards St. Pete I'd bet that the speed will be much faster. Just give things some time and keep in mind that Tampa took nearly four years to get completed assuming its even complete yet. Verizon couldn't start wiring much of Pinellas until recently because of a non compete clause when they sold their Americast system to Knology.

Yeah, I figured in part this had something to do with Knology.

I didn't realize they were doing any pole installs.I thought FIOS was putting the whole thing underground. Remember all that digging in Tampa where they kept hitting other utilities? haha.
 
Yeah, I figured in part this had something to do with Knology.

I didn't realize they were doing any pole installs.I thought FIOS was putting the whole thing underground. Remember all that digging in Tampa where they kept hitting other utilities? haha.

Interesting about the all underground thing. I'll have to call and ask if all fiber runs will be done underground. I know some fiber needs to be place underground but I always believed that quite a bit of the main streets (ie East Bay Drive, Keene Rd., Belcher, Ulmerton etc) still needed fiber to be run on the existing above ground telephone poles.
 
Last year they were up near Curlew Rd. If they are now doing fiber near Nursery & Highland that means they must have skipped right over us near the Countryside Mall. Just my luck! :(
 
Last year they were up near Curlew Rd. If they are now doing fiber near Nursery & Highland that means they must have skipped right over us near the Countryside Mall. Just my luck! :(

They tend to work in more than one specific area at a time so I doubt they just skipped your area. Just give this rollout some time because its still in its early stages with regards to Pinellas County.
 
I'm in unincorporated Pinellas (with a "Clearwater" mailing address) near Top of the World.

Advanced Communications USA just put flyers out in my neighborhood yesterday. There are white "proposed excavation" spray-painted lines all over the place. :) (We have buried utilities.)

I can't imagine them avoiding Countryside given that area is likely filled with potential high-revenue subscribers.


Does anyone have any idea about time from laying fiber to actually selling service?
 
I'm in unincorporated Pinellas (with a "Clearwater" mailing address) near Top of the World.

Advanced Communications USA just put flyers out in my neighborhood yesterday. There are white "proposed excavation" spray-painted lines all over the place. :) (We have buried utilities.)

I can't imagine them avoiding Countryside given that area is likely filled with potential high-revenue subscribers.


Does anyone have any idea about time from laying fiber to actually selling service?

I've confirmed this company is the company (contractors) that is doing the prep work (digging etc) for Verizon on their FIOS rollout.

Also keep in mind that Verizon doesn't just install service one place at a time and moves from point A to point B. They are installing fiber at many different places within Pinellas County at the same time and at some point will merge the coverage area together. This process goes on and on until the entire area is wired. So with this said I highly doubt they have stopped laying fiber within the countryside area.
 
They are in Safety Harbor, city worker told me they would be in my nieghborhood this next month. But I am still not sure they are a better option than Brighthouse.
 
I'm in unincorporated Pinellas (with a "Clearwater" mailing address) near Top of the World.

Advanced Communications USA just put flyers out in my neighborhood yesterday. There are white "proposed excavation" spray-painted lines all over the place. :) (We have buried utilities.)

I can't imagine them avoiding Countryside given that area is likely filled with potential high-revenue subscribers.


Does anyone have any idea about time from laying fiber to actually selling service?

Last week a contractor was laying fiber along countryside blvd, just north of SR 580.
 
Hi

I live in unincorporated Pinellas County in a small subdivision just off Walsingham Rd and Seminole Blvd. They have already dug up our area and placed the in ground service boxes and what I think is was the fiber casing / race for the fiber through the neighborhood. I have worked in cable security years ago, and I have never seen a company put down the infrastructure as fast as this sub did in my neighborhood.
I can't wait until it goes live. I'm on Brighthouse now and a good set price, package, and customer service is all it will take me to jump ship. The only thing I have a problem with Brighthouse right now is they compress the heck out of their digital / QAM channels and the cost for their Internet and cable package is a bit steep.

G
 
I should clarify based on the above message: When I posted earlier, they must have been done putting down boxes and conduit for fiber. Looking outside today, I see a truck with a giant roll of orange-clad fiber, presumably, and a bunch of guys messing about with the boxes.
 
I should clarify based on the above message: When I posted earlier, they must have been done putting down boxes and conduit for fiber. Looking outside today, I see a truck with a giant roll of orange-clad fiber, presumably, and a bunch of guys messing about with the boxes.

I'm about 99% sure this is the conduit that will hold the fiber itself. This orange tubing is fed underground and at a later date (months) they will run the fiber itself within the conduit.

Now that this is being done you getting close to having service but we are still talking about months though.

Edit...just to make sure the orange stuff your talking about is the conduit.
 
Anyone have any recent news on this?

Verizon buried a large fiber connection in my side lot nearly two years ago. I talked to the guys putting it in at that time and they said it was the "main feed" for our subdivision. I can't understand why it has been sitting unused all this time.

Wish I knew when I could ditch BHN...
 
Anyone have any recent news on this?

Verizon buried a large fiber connection in my side lot nearly two years ago. I talked to the guys putting it in at that time and they said it was the "main feed" for our subdivision. I can't understand why it has been sitting unused all this time.

Wish I knew when I could ditch BHN...

Much of St Pete is serviceable now. I got mine in Nov 2008 in northeast St Pete (62nd Ave N area, east of 4th St). As you may or may not know, I have a computer business and a lot of my residential customers are popping up with FIOS. I would say they are in pockets and cherry-picked areas though. Not just the rich areas. There are areas where you'd think they'd have service and other areas that you wouldn't think they would have service and they do. I haven't seen as many work crews lately but I did see a big sign yesterday near 4th and 52nd stating their intent to do some major work in that area.

A while back they said they were backing off FL to meet legal requirements in NY state. They had to hit a certain number of serviceable houses by a certain date per the franchise agreement with the state on NY. So they were backing off FL and other areas to meet those demands. They'll be back, but if you aren't getting FIOS yet, you might have to wait a bit longer. I actually thought Clearwater was pretty much done and it was just St Pete left in Pinellas. Hope you get it soon.
 
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