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Originally Posted by cpayne5
FiOS has been deployed throughout the Hampton Roads region. Specifically, Hampton and VA Beach. Also, FiOS was just turned on in Hempstead, NY. Even near me they've started running the conduit for FiOS in Culpeper county (which isn't exactly on par with Fairfax in terms of affluance). The whole cherry picking notion has been blown way out of proportion by the cable companies.
The new VA law states that a new competitor can either try to negotiate a new contract with the locality, or they can obtain an automatic franchise authorization. By agreeing to the fast track agreement, they have to build out 100% of the initial service area within 3 years and 65% of their entire serviced area within 7 years.
Verizon offers two sets of prices. One for yearly contracts, and one for month-to-month, which is about $5 more expensive per month. In all of the places where FiOS has been deployed (Keller, Westchester, Long Island, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Maryland, NoVA, Hampton Roads, & Fort Wayne) not a single one has seen a price increase. The prices that Verizon has advertised have stayed the same for the 2+ years of FiOS's existance. For cases where cable prices have been cut, see Keller Texas and Long Island New York (Cablevision). For instances where the cable companies have increased the level of service without increasing prices, see just about every other locality where FiOS has been deployed. I'd definitely say that customer are benefiting from this. |
The Hempstead towns mentioned on Long Island (Baldwin, Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, North Merrick, Roosevelt, Seaford and Wantagh) are mostly middle to upper income areas. There are poorer sections of Hempstead that were not mentioned and Verizon only started offering the service there after a local news station here on Long Island exposed them over that issue.