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LOL Remember When Verizon Promised FiOS City-Wide?
By
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 18, 2015
Modified Jun 19, 2015
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By
Emma Whitford
Published Jun 18, 2015
Modified Jun 19, 2015
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Ever since Verizon promised that the entirety of New York City would be wired for extra-fast fiber optic FiOS TV/internet/telephone service by the summer of 2014, we've had plenty of time to chart the service provider's lagging process.
Back in October 2013, despite Verizon's assurance that 75% of New Yorkers had access to the service, many residents countered that they were having trouble signing up, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods in upper Manhattan and the Bronx. A Verizon rep told us at the time that this was, at least partially, the landlords' fault. "It's getting into the buildings and getting access to the buildings that's the issue," he said.
Today, the release of a municipal audit conducted by the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications shows that Verizon still has a long way to go.
According to the audit, the city currently has about 40,000 pending requests for FiOS service, 75% of which have been outstanding for at least a year.
Rather than file suit against Verizon for breach of contract, de Blasio spokeswoman Maya Wiley told the WSJ that the city plans to work with the company to speed up for the installation process (she didn't elaborate on how).
Reached by e-mail, Verizon spokesman John Bonomo told us that Verizon disagrees with "many parts of the report."
"We indeed have met the requirement to install fiber optics through all five boroughs," he said. "The challenge we have is gaining access to properties which of course would expand availability."
Bonomo added that Verizon is set to begin negotiations with its unions, the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, on Monday.
"It’s well known the union has ties to the city administration," he said, somewhat conspiratorially. WSJ, which also reported on this coincidence, said the city denied any connection.
You can search for Verizon hotspots in your neighborhood using the Community Locator here.
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Emma Whitford
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