Howard County Grants Verizon Cable Authority

[riffjim4069]

http://wjz.com/local/local_story_003223555.html

Howard County Grants Verizon Cable Authority

(WJZ) ELLICOTT CITY The long wait will soon be over for Howard County residents eager for cable TV competition, thanks to a unanimous Howard County Council vote Tuesday night authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic powered FiOS TV in the county.

With its more than 265,000 potential viewers, Howard County is the first Maryland jurisdiction to grant Verizon a cable franchise. Verizon launched FiOS TV Sept. 22, 2005, in Keller, Texas, unveiling a broad collection of all-digital programming with more than 330 total channels and more on the way. The company also offers FiOS TV in Herndon and Fairfax County in Virginia, as well as other locations in Texas and Florida.

Availability plans for FiOS TV in Howard County will be announced soon.

"We applaud the County Council, along with the County Executive and the Office of Cable Administration, for moving Howard County to the forefront of communities nationwide where consumers will be able to choose their cable provider as easily as they choose their phone company," said William R. Roberts, Verizon Maryland president. "Competition drives innovation, value and service quality, and it puts the consumer in control.

"Verizon will compete aggressively for Howard Countians' business with our FiOS services, which are fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network."

Under the 15-year agreement, which becomes effective in early March, Verizon will begin to provide FiOS TV to portions of the county where Verizon's fiber network is currently being built, reaching a large majority of customers within three years. The company plans to extend FiOS TV across the county over the next seven years as it constructs its fiber network in the areas served by the company's central switching offices.

In addition, the agreement contains provisions for the network's future growth; financial support and capacity for educational and government access channels; cable service to government buildings; and other important benefits to the county, including insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. 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.

In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's fiber network also allows the company to offer consumers and businesses high-speed FiOS Internet Service at download speeds of up to 30 mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds up to 5 mbps.* FiOS Internet Service currently is available to many consumers and small businesses in the Columbia and Ellicott City areas of Howard County, as well as parts of Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

 

[jgantert]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/03/AR2006010301584.html

Verizon To Offer Cable in Maryland
Howard County Approves Service

By Dina ElBoghdady
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 4, 2006; Page D01

Verizon Communications Inc. broke into Maryland's cable television market as the Howard County Council voted unanimously last night to grant the company a franchise, giving the telecommunications giant another victory in its effort to expand its array of services nationwide.

Under the agreement, Verizon could start rolling out cable television service in parts of the county in early March, though it has yet to announce pricing. The New York company would have three years to build a fiber-optic network in the eastern, most populated part of the county and a total of seven years to reach the more rural areas.


Verizon has won similar agreements in six other states, including Virginia, which has approved franchises in Fairfax County, Fairfax city, the town of Herndon and the Marine base in Quantico.

Verizon's television initiative is part of a broad and aggressive push to offer its customers telephone, Internet and television services in one package. In 2004, it invested $1 billion in building its fiber-optic network nationwide, and it accelerated construction in the past year. The network passed by 3 million homes and businesses last year, and Verizon expects to build outside another 3 million homes and businesses this year. In Maryland, the company has hired 250 full-time employees and more than 1,400 contractors to lay down fiber lines.

The effort comes as cable companies have begun offering Internet-based phone services. But the phone company's push into cable's television arena has put it at loggerheads with that industry, which says Verizon is seeking unfair competitive advantages in the deals it is trying to strike. Comcast Corp., Howard County's sole cable provider, demanded that the county grant Verizon the same terms and conditions under which Comcast operates.

Even though there are inherent differences in the regulations governing telephone companies and cable television providers, the legislators tried to have both franchises look as much alike as possible, said Dean Smits, cable administrator for Howard County.

"Neither company has been provided lesser or more onerous regulations" under this deal, Smits said.

The legislation included amendments requiring Verizon to provide contact information on customer bills and create a local customer service office in the county once it has 30,000 subscribers.

"I've taken Comcast's issues seriously," said Councilman Ken Ulman (D-West Columbia), who co-sponsored the amendments with Councilman Christopher J. Merdon (R-Northeast County). "But at the end of the day, my constituents are telling me that they want competition. Studies have shown when there is competition, prices come down and customer service goes up."

Harry Mitchell, Verizon's spokesman, dismissed Comcast's arguments about leveling the playing field. "The playing field is tilted in their favor because they have 100 percent of the cable market" in the county, Mitchell said. "We come in with no customers and no market share."

Jim Gordon, a spokesman for Comcast, said his company appreciates the changes the county has made in this agreement. "We still think there are a few more areas the county could look into further," Gordon said. "But we have the product, the technology and the team to compete in the marketplace today as we have been doing for several years."

Other states that have reached franchise agreements with Verizon are Texas, California, Florida, New York and Massachusetts.

Howard County executive James N. Robey (D) is expected to sign the measure as early as today.

 

[korsjs]

kudos to howard county for not giving into the pressure.

 

[jgantert]

Yeah, but it shouldn't be this hard to get a cable franchise together. I mean, this is only one county. It will probably take years to get the franchise agreements for the entire state (not to say the entire state is going to FIOS).

-John

 

[riffjim4069]

Relax, people are beginning to see through the cable smokescreen. Virginia and New Jersey are going to change laws and start awarding statewide cable franchise agreements later this year, plus much of the groundwork (lessons learned) has been laid for other localities to follow. For example: Fairfax County has provided a great deal of information to Spotsylvania...to include hiring the same groups of Cable & Telecom lawyers, engineers, etc. This trend will continue on to Prince William, Stafford, and other Counties.

Cable has been losing the battle at the state and local levels and this process is going to snowball now that cable competition is in motion.

 

[korsjs]

verizon press release.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=93139

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

I live in howard and am very excited for fios tv to come here! I've been following updates on verizons tv service throughout last year and when I watched the county council vote on teusday I went crazy, that we could finally get rid of comcast's horrible service and finally have a great choice in a new provider. I would like to post updates and pictures of the service here once it starts running!

 

[raymo721]

I live in Howard Co. also and looking into Fios because there is a good chance I won't be able to put D*s new AT9 5 lnb dish where my 3 lnb dish is. Had Comcast before D* and there's no way I'm going back. Any Howard Co. residents going Fios please let us know how it went, pq etc. I'd appreciate it.--Ray

 

[riffjim4069]

The goods news is that cable prices, service and reliability will improve for everyone involved....both Verizon and Comcast subscribers. Competition is a good thing!

Now if we can just get education vouches into our hands we can break up that monopoly known as the public school system.

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

I am just a bit worried because Verizon hasn't installed their underground service on my side of the neighborhood, though i see digging and 'green' FiOS distribution boxes on the neighborhoods that are on either side of me. I might call my areas contractor for underground deployment, CableCom, to see if i can get any details on their plans for our area.

It's very tempting to know that your area is going to be the first in Maryland to get FiOS TV and the fiber is just about 100 yards away from your home.

Also, I see that the poles behind my home have fiber along them, so hopefully It will be here soon.

I am anxious to see the channel lineups and pricing for our area, as riffjim4069 said that it will bring wore competition!

 

[riffjim4069]

Also, I see that the poles behind my home have fiber along them, so hopefully It will be here soon.

Howard County should have a build-out plan. I have an e-mail address and phone number from someone at the Howard County Cable Commission. I will send you a PM with her name and phone number tomorrow morning.

Riff...

 

[SF12345]

Good news that Maryland is now involved with FIOSTV. I've had FIOS internet for over a year and can't wait for Montgomery County to get TV flowing... Comcast is KILLING ME!

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

Thanks Riff..., I'd greatly appreciate that. Do you think it is still worth calling CableCom?

 

[riffjim4069]

Thanks Riff..., I'd greatly appreciate that. Do you think it is still worth calling CableCom?

I don't know, but I sent you a PM with contact information for the Howard County Cable Administration. Keep us posted and good luck. I wish I had FiOS TV coming my way in March...

Anyway, since this appears to be the de facto Howard County FiOS TV thread...I thought it would be an appropriate place to posts the Cable Administators response to Comcast's charge that the Verizon franchise agreement was unfair. It's a great read!

 

[jgantert]

I have the same issue. They've wired our secondary street, but the side street I am off of, hasn't been done yet. I'm not too worried, tho. It will get here sometime this year, I'm guessing.

-John

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

Thats a great response to comcast. Comcast is always trying to make excuses because they know that Verizon will have "far better" service than them. Or do they?

I like this response by the Cable Administrator

"This is one of the more inane comments by Comcast (among many)."

Also, Thanks for the PM with her contact information, I will post updates very soon after I call her. I should do it sometime this week, but it could take me several days since I have exams this week.

I also want to post some pictures of what the underground FiOS utilities look like around neighborhoods near me. Should I do that?

 

[riffjim4069]

I also want to post some pictures of what the underground FiOS utilities look like around neighborhoods near me. Should I do that?

Absolutely! Currently, there is so little information regarding FiOS TV (so few users) that I'm dying to get the skinnny on how well the hardware, software and video services work. I'm sure they will be some growing pains, but at least people will have a choice of cable provider. Comcast and other are an easy target right now, but let's just hope service, support, selection, and pricing will improve for everyone involved.

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

Ok, I will be going out this friday on my motor scooter (with my camera) to explore my findings in different areas near me.

And when FiOS is availible for howard county, and I get it, I am sure to post pictures of hardware and quality of the picture!

I can just imagine one of the funniest parts will be calling comcast and saying, "I'm getting rid of your horrible service and switching to verizon!!!" haha.

 

[raymo721]

Can't wait for the pics and info 023! I'm very excited about this, especially after the high winds we had Sat. and Sun. On my way to NYC early Sun. morning I passed another tractor trailer going in the other direction over the Tydings bridge that had been blown over by a huge wind gust! No lie!--Ray

 

[mdtvzhockey023]

yea those were some pretty strong winds..hopefully the weather cooperates for me this friday so i can get some decent pictures. Any suggestions on certain pictures you would like to see.

I know i can get some of distribution boxes, underground acces points (don't know if theres a way to open those) and fios wires on poles.