Cable Choice Comes to Chesapeake, Va., as Verizon Launches FiOS TV

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - The future of television is arriving for consumers in parts of Chesapeake as Verizon introduces FiOS TV over its revolutionary fiber-optic network here.  FiOS TV currently is available to consumers in large parts of Newport News and Virginia Beach.

Verizon delivers FiOS TV over the nation's largest digital, all-fiber network, which has earned certification from the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way to customers' homes.

"The holidays will be extra special for Chesapeake residents who are now able to choose Verizon's FiOS TV," said Robert W. Woltz Jr., president of Verizon Virginia.  "Customers who like what FiOS has done for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV."

Verizon FiOS TV is available now to more than 3,500 households in parts of the following Chesapeake neighborhoods: Emerald Greens, Emerald Forest, English Oaks, Estates of Greenbrier, Greenwood, The Hampshire at Greenbrier Wood, Hunningdon Lakes, Hunningdon Woods, Kemp Bridge, Kemp Woods, Kemp Woods South, Kemps Crossing, Lakewood, Norcova Estates,  Oak Brooke, Oak Grove Meadows, Oakbrook, Orchard Grove Condos, Stillwater Farms, Stony Run Manor, Towns at Hunningdon Lakes, Vance Level, Warrington Hall, Wedgewood Estates, Welspring, Willow Oaks, Whitehurst and Wynngate Place.

Eligible consumers can bundle FiOS TV service with FiOS Internet service, the Verizon Freedom Essentials unlimited calling plan and a Verizon Wireless calling plan on a single bill to create the ultimate bundle for savings and convenience.  Consumers can check online at www.verizon.com/fiostv to see if FiOS TV is available in their area, or to request that Verizon contact them when FiOS TV is available.  To order FiOS TV, consumers can call their local Verizon sales office or 1-877-4-FIOS-TV (1-877-434-6788). 

Service Highlights

FiOS TV represents an excellent value when compared to competitors' offerings, which typically include fewer channels at a higher price.

Service highlights include:

• FiOS TV Premier, the lead offer, with more than 200 all-digital channels for $42.99 per month.

• Twenty-seven high-definition channels with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound, with plans for growth up to 150 HD channels over the next year.
• A library of more than 10,000 on-demand titles, 60 percent of which are free.  Verizon's on-demand library includes dozens of high-definition titles.
• Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite programming.
• A colorful interactive media guide that helps customers quickly and easily find and enjoy content from TV listings, video-on-demand catalogs and digital video recorders (DVR) as well as personal music and photos from a home network.
• Set-top boxes ranging from a standard-definition box for $4.99 per month to the Home Media DVR, featuring a multi-room DVR that enables up to three simultaneous viewings of recorded programs without requiring customers to set up a complex home network or buy extra equipment.  The recorder is bundled with Media Manager, a new feature that lets customers easily access photos and music from their PCs and play them on their televisions.  Home Media DVR is $19.99 per month.
• FiOS TV Widgets, a free interactive feature that provides local weather and traffic information while customers are watching their favorite shows.

FiOS TV also features diverse entertainment in a variety of languages.  Spanish-speaking viewers can choose La Conexion, a package of nearly 140 popular English and Spanish-language channels for $32.99 per month, or a Spanish-language package for $11.99 per month.  Verizon also offers 14 international premium channels in languages such as Chinese, French, Italian, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese.

"FiOS TV is the next generation in television entertainment," said Toby S. Frank, director of regional marketing for Verizon.  "FiOS TV takes on cable by offering consumers choice, value, simplicity and innovation.  And as time goes on, we'll add more interactive services that will continue to differentiate FiOS TV from the competition."

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite.  Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network is currently under construction in 16 states.  In addition to Virginia, Verizon currently offers FiOS TV in parts of California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.

The network brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and has industry-leading quality and reliability.  In addition to FiOS TV, Verizon's all-fiber network 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 15 Mbps.*  FiOS Internet service currently is available to many consumers and small businesses in Chesapeake, Newport News and Virginia Beach.

Since Verizon began building its fiber-optic network in Virginia in 2004, the company has placed approximately 36 million feet of fiber and created hundreds of new full-time positions to build and support the network and FiOS services, including 460 in the company's Hampton Fiber Solutions Center. 

"Our all-fiber-optic upgrade is a complete transformation of Verizon's communications network," said Woltz.  "This transformation will offer consumers the very best services - super-fast Internet speeds, superior TV and crystal-clear voice - all at competitive prices with Verizon's unmatched customer service."

The value of FiOS TV extends to the installation and customer support.  Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services.  Verizon is waiving the installation fee for up to three existing TV outlets, and there is no charge to install a needed optical network terminal at the subscriber's home.  Charges for other installation services, such as additional outlets, may apply.  Verizon provides 24 x 7 technical assistance by phone from its specialized Fiber Solutions Centers, including the center located in Hampton.

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 63.7 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of nearly 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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