PCCA Journal 2nd Quarter 2014 - page 22

PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2014
22
Telecom News
Continued from page 20
V
erizon has installed almost 89 million feet, or
nearly 17,000 miles, of fiber optic infrastruc-
ture in New York City, enough to stretch over
six trips between New York and Los Angeles.
The company’s fiber infrastructure in the
city includes facilities for interoffice and backbone network
equipment, specialized fiber for large enterprise customers,
and its FiOS services serving consumers and small busi-
nesses.
FiOS currently delivers download speeds as high as 500
megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 100
Mbps, which the company says are the fastest internet speeds
available in the city.
“This is the largest, most ambitious fiber-optic deployment
in any U.S. city,” said Kevin Service, Verizon’s president for
the company’s Northeast area. “We have invested more than
$3 billion in the city alone, making it one of the most ‘fiber-
ized’ cities on the planet. Our 12,000 New York City employ-
ees are proud to bring this future-proof technology to the
people of New York City.”
He said that the company has worked with the city, con-
firming each annual benchmark established for upgrading its
network for video service availability in the five boroughs.
As of the end of 2013, the company had completed network
upgrades passing premises in 90 percent of the Bronx, 89
percent of Brooklyn, 94 percent of Manhattan, 90 percent
of Queens, and virtually the entirety of Staten Island—all as
called for under the Cable Franchise Agreement with the city.
In addition, the company has already made FiOS available to
more than 60,000 New York City public housing units.
After Superstorm Sandy, the company accelerated its
plans for installing fiber-optic technology to replace cables
and other infrastructure elements that were destroyed by
the unprecedented flooding. In the most dramatic example,
the company installed fiber-optic cables and networking
equipment throughout lower Manhattan and in some of the
coastal neighborhoods in Brooklyn (such as Coney Island
and Sheepshead Bay) and Queens (such as Belle Harbor and
Breezy Point) giving all of those areas a robust and reli-
able all-fiber-optic telecommunications network for years to
come.
mobile devices, TVs, laptops, cars, and
even airplanes. At the same time, it
creates immediate and long-term value
for our shareholders,” said AT&T Chair-
man and CEO Randall Stephenson.
“DIRECTV is the best option for us
because they have the premier brand in
pay TV, the best content relationships,
and a fast-growing Latin American
business.”
“This compelling and complemen-
tary combination will bring significant
benefits to all consumers, shareholders,
and DIRECTV employees,” said DI-
RECTV President and CEO Mike White.
“U.S. consumers will have access to a
more competitive bundle, shareholders
will benefit from the enhanced value of
the combined company, and employ-
ees will have the advantage of being
part of a stronger, more competitive
company, well positioned to meet the
evolving video and broadband needs of
the 21st century marketplace.”
AT&T has also committed to offer
stand-alone broadband. For customers
who only want a broadband service
and may choose to consume video
through an over-the-top service like
Netflix or Hulu, the combined com-
pany will offer stand-alone wireline
broadband service at speeds of at least
6 Mbps (where feasible) in areas where
AT&T offers wireline IP broadband
service today at guaranteed prices for
three years after closing.
DIRECTV’s TV service will continue
to be available on a stand-alone basis
at nationwide package prices that are
the same for all customers, no matter
where they live, for at least three years
after closing.
AT&T will continue its commitment
for three years after closing to the
FCC’s Open Internet protections estab-
lished in 2010, irrespective of whether
the FCC re-establishes such protections
for other industry participants follow-
ing the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
vacating those rules.
The transaction does not alter
AT&T’s plans to meaningfully partici-
pate in the FCC’s planned spectrum
auctions later this year and in 2015.
AT&T intends to bid at least $9 billion
in connection with the 2015 incentive
auction provided there is sufficient
spectrum available in the auction to
provide AT&T a viable path to at least
a 2x10 MHz nationwide spectrum foot-
print.
Verizon Blankets New York City
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