FIOS!

[jerrya1]

Saw in the paper today,Verizon got the Ok to turn on there new Fiber Optical Cable Service in Temple Terrace,and Hillborough county's deal is laying on the table.
I'm drooling to sample FIOS Digital TV.I think I could fall in love with the latest Technology Very Quickly!!I'm also willing to bet there will be more bandwidth available for HD TV Programs to enhance the "WOW FACTOR"in us all for a cheaper price.
One thing for sure is Brighthouse will have to offer me one hellish deal to to keep me from jumping on the Bandwagon to the way of the future "Fiber Opics"
Jerry

[djkilla]

Ummmm, my understanding is they are only offering internet access for now with tv signals being broadcast sometime in 2006. Since I live in Temple Terrace, I'm very interested to see what kind of deals/packages they may offer for internet.

-D j K i l l a-

[LonghornXP]

Ummmm, my understanding is they are only offering internet access for now with tv signals being broadcast sometime in 2006. Since I live in Temple Terrace, I'm very interested to see what kind of deals/packages they may offer for internet.

-D j K i l l a-

TV service should be available in Temple Terrace around summer maybe at the start of the fourth quarter. Their basic analog package will be about 15 bucks cheaper than BHN basic package which would include BHN channels 2-99. They will have both DVR and HD DVR rental options which I promise you would be much cheaper per box because Verizon won't charge as much on the DVR fee. Verizon will have your local NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS and UPN HD feeds and I think they also have a deal for WB HD as well.

Also Verizon has a deal for Starz which will include both the east and west feeds of both the SD and HD channels plus Starz On Demand as part of your Starz subscription. Verizon will also offer Starz HD movies as part of Starz On Demand.

Also all Showtime SD and HD channels will be available including Showtime On Demand.

NFL Network, NFL Network HD and NFL Network ON Demand will be offered as well as the NBC Universal Cable channels which include Universal HD. WealthHD will be available as well.

What isn't announced but will be offered will be both the SD, HD and On Demand channels for HBO, Cinemax and TMC. Also coming would be HDNet, HDNet Movies, InHD, InHD 2, ESPN HD, ESPN 2 HD, TNT HD and Discovery HD Theater. Also Sunshine HD and Fox Sports Net Florida HD will be available as well.

I will say this much in that I have fiber and am getting high speed internet but I will be in envy of you that will get this great TV product because I'm one of the very very few in Pinellas County that has fiber but I won't see Fios TV service until much of my area is upgraded because until that time comes my city won't have a franchise deal in place. Consider yourself very very lucky to have something better than anything out there today within months.

[Floyd]

Here's an article about the ongoing battle between cable and fios companies: http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-05-22-telco-tv-cover-usat_x.htm?csp=15

According to the article, I'm considered a "low-value" customer. I am slow to jump on the technology bandwagon and pay a lot of extra fees for some bells and whistles that I hardly use. I have a basic satellite programming package, but all I really want is a couple of news channels. I have a feature package with the phone company, but all I really want is caller-ID. I want a DVR, but I'm not about to pay a monthly fee just to get a guide to record "free" local channels.

[dprice]

And shame on the phone companies for wanting to serve the high-value customers first!

Don

[StevenA]

I saw a billboard this morning in Town 'n Country on Hillsborough Avenue that read, FIOS is here. Does that mean it's available (or soon will be available) in the Town 'n Country area?

[DaveBug]

I just got mine installed today. Carrollwood area... DAMN is it fast :)

[Harry]

Full page ad in the front section of the Trib today from Verizon about how the folks in Temple Terrace will soon have new and better choice for TV. Goes on to talk about more hi-def etc. and Fios for faster broadband. Talks about negoiations going on in the rest of the county.

In the same section there was an editorial urging the local politiicans to get out of the way in the negoiations, that they are not awarding a monolpoly any more and that they should settle for smaller fees and let the consumers benefit from competition between BHN, Verizon and the sat. providers. Good stuff.

Harry

[Floyd]

Here's that opinion piece from the Tribune:

New TV Networks Need Fresh Rules
Published: Jun 1, 2005

T emple Terrace homes and businesses will enjoy competitive prices in cable TV services and fast Internet long before most others in the region.
The town is the first locally to sign a franchise agreement with Verizon that allows the telephone company to sell TV signals via high-speed fiber-optic cables. Verizon is putting down a state-of- the-art network throughout the county, but residents of Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County can't tap into the new TV service until city and county officials independently agree to a deal.

Verizon says negotiations with the county and city are not moving fast.

The question of how much Verizon should pay is not as simple as in the early days of cable franchises, when cities needed to squeeze as much as they could in return for granting a virtual monopoly. Today satellite TV is competing for cable customers, and the satellite companies aren't required to sign franchise agreements. And now rival TV cables are coming to the same house.

No longer is an exclusive deal being offered, so the new cable providers want to pay lower fees, and they should. Operators of the original TV cables - in this area it's Bright House Networks - naturally want to renegotiate their old franchise deals, which didn't anticipate the arrival of competitors.

The rules need to be brought into the 21st century. Speedy negotiations mean real competition arrives faster, which will lower prices and bring better service. That's worth more to most taxpayers than a high franchise fee.

Government negotiators in the new era of TV competition ought not try for a windfall in tax revenue; their objective ought to be to get out of the way as fast as possible so consumers can enjoy competition and package deals.

Cities with the fastest connections will attract new businesses. But first state-of-the-art technology must find its way around old-fashioned regulations.

[dprice]

Franchise fees....don't expect your local spineless politician to support the demise of a "fee" if it may require implementing a new offsetting tax revenue stream. Most of them would rather be caught using the "N" word than the "T" word.

Don

[Floyd]

Here's an update from the Tribune about the ongoing franchise negotiations over Verizon Fios:

Consumers Want Say On Verizon Pay-TV Bid

By WILL RODGERS wjrodgers@tampatrib.com
Published: Jun 22, 2005

TAMPA - Verizon Communications Inc. is seeking the right to compete with Bright House Networks to offer residents of Tampa and other areas of Hillsborough County pay-television service.
The competition, if city and county authorities allow another pay-TV provider here, likely will be good for viewers, all agree.

Consumer advocates worry that Verizon is trying to skirt local pay-TV regulations, a move the advocates claim could short-circuit funding for public, educational and governmental programming and shortchange elderly, minority and low-income people.

Walter Dartland, executive director of the Consumer Federation of the Southeast, said he's not trying to stop Verizon from providing cable television in Tampa and Hillsborough County. He says he wants consumers to have a seat at the table when the city and county negotiate franchise agreements with Verizon - and any other pay-TV provider.

A franchise agreement, which Verizon has applied for in Tampa and Hillsborough County, is required for a company to offer pay-TV services in a city or county in Florida. In May, Temple Terrace granted Verizon the right to offer pay-TV.

``We need to have a real competitive market out there,'' Dartland said. ``To do that, we need to have consumer input.

``I just want to make sure the advantage goes to the public interest. ... There's a lot of concern that if we don't get involved early, then we'll have a hard time changing things.''

The federation hopes to raise awareness of residents and draw the attention of public officials to the pay-TV issue by holding a news conference near Verizon's downtown Tampa offices today.

Dartland wants to make sure consumers' voices are heard during negotiations for where and when Verizon will offer pay-TV throughout Hillsborough, and what the public gets in return for granting the company a TV franchise. He said he will do the same if Bright House Networks is allowed to renegotiate its franchise agreement.

Verizon plans to spend $200 million by the end of this year installing fiber-optic cable in parts of the Tampa Bay area. The fiber will allow the company to compete head-to-head with East Syracuse, N.Y.-based Bright House Networks, offering telephone, high-speed Internet and pay-TV services.

A flier put out by the federation Tuesday says Verizon wants to cherry-pick neighborhoods it will serve with pay- TV. The flier also says Verizon seeks to skirt local franchise requirements, refuses to tell officials where it will build the fiber, wants to be allowed to pull out of an unprofitable area and hopes to pay less than the going rate of funding for public, educational and governmental programming.

Bob Elek, Verizon's spokesman in Tampa, said the New York-based company intends to serve every possible customer. He said it just may take time to reach certain neighborhoods with the fiber.

``If you look at both our history as a company and our deployment patterns thus far, there really is no basis in fact in that concern,'' Elek said.

He said the company won't provide details on building out its fiber because of competitive reasons. He also said Verizon will support public, educational and governmental programming.

However, Elek said, the company is competing, and is seeking a clause to option out of areas if the television business falters.

``We think everyone will want it,'' he said. ``But if no one does, we want the option to leave.''

Mindy Snyder, the city's cable television manager negotiating the Verizon franchise, could not be reached for comment.

Reporter Will Rodgers can be reached at (813) 259-7870.

[Floyd]

...

[Floyd]

Oops......double post.

[pilotbob]

I just got mine installed today. Carrollwood area... DAMN is it fast :)

So, what is the "Qualifying phone plan" that is on their flyers? I only have the most basic phone plan that is like $19 a month.

Do they swith the phone to VoIP or does it stay on copper?

BOb

[Floyd]

I called them to find out what the "qualifying calling package" is, and they told me it has 3 calling features(like callerID, call waiting, ect) for $34.95.
Here's a link to previous discussion:
http://tampahdtv.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1078&sid=84cc999b524ab0c6b5f1019a52c0dcc5

[eckythump]

When it is available do we know how it's going to work? I'm guessing it will require a "box" in every room unlike BHN (for the first 99 channels). Will our houses have to be rewired or is it going to use the same coaux cabling?

Any details on the box they are using, I hope it's with TIVO! What's the interactive gaming they keep mentioning on the radio ad.

Eckythump

[eckythump]

When it is available do we know how it's going to work? I'm guessing it will require a "box" in every room unlike BHN (for the first 99 channels). Will our houses have to be rewired or is it going to use the same coaux cabling?

Any details on the box they are using, I hope it's with TIVO! What's the interactive gaming they keep mentioning on the radio ad.

Eckythump

[mgd2win]

Finally starting to offer FIOS here in Westchase.

So how is everyone doing that has this service and how reliable has it been?

[LonghornXP]

I read an article in I think USA Today or the New York Times that said the following below.

Verizon will offer a basic package to cost 50-55 bucks a month that will include all the same channels that BHN offers between channels 2 and 140ish. Now what is shocking about this package and makes it great is that this package will include Starz SuperPak and Showtime Unlimited SD, HD and On Demand channels as part of that 55 bucks a month. Also Verizon said in the article that the holdup for HBO and Cinemax is due because they are spending a little more time working out the deal to have them also included in that basic package.

Now what Verizon will like to have is a basic package which would cost 65 bucks a month and will include about 200 basic SD channels plus all premium movie channels. I also heard from a few people I know about their plans for HDTV channels.

Right now at least in the Tampa Bay Area they will offer all HD local channels as part of their basic package which will cost less than 25 bucks a month but won't include any premium channels.

They also will include Universal HD, TNT HD, Discovery HD, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, NFL Network HD, SunHD and Fox Sports Net Florida HD as part of this basic 25 bucks a month package.

The 55 bucks a month package that includes premium channels (if they can get all premiums to go along which they think they can because only HBO and Cinemax is left) will include the following HD channels below.

HBO HD East and West.
Cinemax HD East.
Showtime HD East and West.
The Movie Channel East.
Starz HD East and West.

This 55 buck package will include in addition to the HD channels above all of the VOD offerings as follows.

HBO On Demand.
Cinemax On Demand.
Showtime On Demand.
TMC On Demand.
Starz On Demand.

Now they also have plans to have an extra HD Tier which I'm hearing will cost about 4.99/month and will include the channels below.

HDNet.
HDNet Movies.
InHD.
InHD 2.
Voom 21 HD Suite.
Fox HD Suite.

I hope this gives you an idea of what is to come.

[mgd2win]

Longhorn, if all of that is true it might be time to dump DirecTV and jump ship.

Still curious about what kind of reliability people are having with FIOS?

What kind of outages and time periods if any?

Hows customer support ?

these kind of questions....my neighbor is getting his installed Sept 6th so I will be over thier check it out

[BlackCatt]

Now they also have plans to have an extra HD Tier which I'm hearing will cost about 4.99/month and will include the channels below.

HDNet.
HDNet Movies.
InHD.
InHD 2.
Voom 21 HD Suite.
Fox HD Suite.

I hope this gives you an idea of what is to come.

How the heck are they getting the Voom 21 HD channels? Voom sold those off to DISH I thought and didn't Verizon sign some deal with DirecTV? If there is a deal with DirecTV, then I would think they wouldn't be to pleased with Verizon licensing those 21 channels from DISH. Of course I could be completely off base. Verizon FIOS television is exactly why I just got brighthouse (no contract) vs signing up with another Sat provider and having to wait a year or more.

BTW, Verizon just got done laying conduit for the fiber out in my neighborhood. :D

Hopefully all these packages come to fruition just as longhorn has said. That would be AWESOME!

[chupacabra]

One of the major benefits of fiber is not only the bandwidth scalablitily, it's also that fiber is not succeptable to environmental, electrical, or weather related events like copper lines from the cable companies or legacy telecommunications services.
Furthermore, the fiber is terminated in next generation equipment which has many enhanced features that allow for proactive network monitoring and rapid problem isolation and repair.

Chupacabra.

[LonghornXP]

Now they also have plans to have an extra HD Tier which I'm hearing will cost about 4.99/month and will include the channels below.

HDNet.
HDNet Movies.
InHD.
InHD 2.
Voom 21 HD Suite.
Fox HD Suite.

I hope this gives you an idea of what is to come.

How the heck are they getting the Voom 21 HD channels? Voom sold those off to DISH I thought and didn't Verizon sign some deal with DirecTV? If there is a deal with DirecTV, then I would think they wouldn't be to pleased with Verizon licensing those 21 channels from DISH. Of course I could be completely off base. Verizon FIOS television is exactly why I just got brighthouse (no contract) vs signing up with another Sat provider and having to wait a year or more.

BTW, Verizon just got done laying conduit for the fiber out in my neighborhood. :D

Hopefully all these packages come to fruition just as longhorn has said. That would be AWESOME!

Verizon "will not" again I repeat "will not" be offering DirecTV service over their fiber lines. Verizon will be offering their own service with their own pricing and channels on their own fiber lines. Now Dish bought one of the Voom satellites in addition to buying a 20% stake in the Voom HD channels which is one reason why they carry them. Because Cablevision still owns the other 80% they can offer the Voom21 suite to any provider that wants to carry them. Right now Cablevision, DirecTV and Verizon are win talks about picking up the Voom21 suite of HD channels.

Also as a side not Verizon will be offering Showtime Unlimited and the Starz SuperPak channels as part of the basic 50-55/month package regardless of what HBO and Cinemax does. I've heard if HBO and Cinemax sign on for this type of deal (and it seems that they are very close to getting a deal done) than this Verizon base package will be between 60-65/month for all premium channel offerings.

To put things simple when HBO and Cinemax get this deal done (I'm saying when because I don't believe now that their is an if about it just a when) than Verizon will have a great package for 60-65/month. To give you an idea this 60-65/month package will be exactly like (but better much better) DirecTVs Total choice premier package with local channels.

So Verizon will soon be giving you a 90+ dollar per month package with DirecTV, Dish Network, Knology and BHN for only 60-65/month.

[Floyd]

I got a new FIOS internet service offer in the mail.

$34.95/mo........with an annual commitment. Almost as low as my current $29.95 DSL service.
That's better than the old offer of $39.95, which required a bundled calling package of telephone services for an additional $34.95/mo. The new offer doesn't mention any changes to the existing phone service.

[millerman101]

chupaca, your wrong, they are already having problems keeping the mini nodes from blowing due to grounding problems.. Anything can be affected by weather, you live in the lightning capitol of the world.

[chupacabra]

millerman101,
I'll agree that the equipment itself is succeptable to poor grounding, lightning, etc. Hopefully there will be redundancies built in to the equipment, stand by power supplies, line cards, surge protection, etc... it all depends on how many problems Verizon has compared to the costs of building in the redundancies. I can't imagine they would continously service equipment for blown line cards due to poor grounding, let's say, without considering a more permanent solution.
The fiber itself is not succeptable to all the environmental issues that copper is. But at the end of the day... a backhoe will find it's target I suppose.

Chupacabra.

[dtokarz]

Has anyone in the Tampa area who lives in an apartment building or condo had the Fios service installed?

[Floyd]

You might have seen the Verizon DSL commercials that say "twice the speed for the same price". What they are offering is to increase your speed from 1.5mbps to 3mbps. I tried to get the upgrade, but they have re-routed my neighborhood telephone cable to make room for the verizon FIOS cable, resulting in an increased cable run length of about 12,000', which is too far for the 3mbps speed.
More recently, they are running ads for "DSL at dial-up prices....$14.95", which gives you 768kbps. It seems I fall in between the two offers, meaning that I'm paying the same as the 3mbps service, and paying twice the 768kbps service price for about twice the speed. So, I called to see what they could do for me. They offered to upgrade me to FIOS/5mbps for the same $29.95 that I'm currently paying for the 1.5mbps DSL. Free Install to one wired computer, with a free router. Not a bad upgrade for free, and I can use the existing free wireless router from the previous DSL service. Switchover of telephone service to fiber is optional, and they install a 4-hr backup battery if you switch.
If anyone on here has DSL and wants the "free" upgrade, just call them. Evidently, they are trying to get as many people on fiber as possible to allow for easier penetration when the TV service rolls out.
FIOS prices have gone from an anticipated $49, to $39, then $35, and now $30. Who would have thought... I guess they are having a hard time converting the roadrunner people.

[CANDY76MAN]

Evidently, they are trying to get as many people on fiber as possible to allow for easier penetration when the TV service rolls out.
FIOS prices have gone from an anticipated $49, to $39, then $35, and now $30. Who would have thought... I guess they are having a hard time converting the roadrunner people.

could have fooled me...I live down a dead end street with maybe 12 homes and they still haven't run the fiber down my street after finishing laying it in most of the "fancy" subdivisions around me nearly a year ago...I work in a lot of the subdivisions in my area and see fios being run to homes all the time yet I still can't get it and I live off the same road all these subdivisions are on, and good luck trying to get ahold of anyone at verizon that can actually tell you when I can expect to be able to get it, for all I know they may have no plans to run it down my street ever....yet I still get the flyers asking me to "sign up for fios now!"

BHN has gotten sluggish in my area recently too so I'm itching to switch.

I bet if there were a bunch of 300,000 dollar plus homes on my street they'de have run it down here at the same time as everywhere else.....ok, done ranting :evil:

[Floyd]

Maybe you should call and try to get FIOS. It might be that they are keeping a record of calls from your dead end street, and will run the fiber when a quota is reached. ? If that was happening, you could get all the interested people on your street to call in, or maybe sign a petition of sorts.
Verizon also has a fios notification service that will let you know if fios is ready in your neighborhood. I couldn't hurt to get all your neighbors to sign up. You never know if some of their ditch digging is determined by customer interest, or they just go where there looks like easy pickins.
Here's one site: https://www22.verizon.com/FiosForHome/Channels/OrderFiOSTV/fiostvfuturenotification.aspx

[CANDY76MAN]

i've called numerous times...only answer I get is they'll notify me when it's available...no one can give any indication of how long I'll have too wait. It's not like I live in the boonies and they have to run a single line for miles just to get too me...my streets a tenth of a mile long with homes up and down both sides and the fiber runs right down the road my street connects too...there's only two concrete driveways they would have to go under so it would be a piece of cake compared to running it in a subdivision.

[mgd2win]

So if anyone has the FIOS TV Service how is it looking especially in regards to DirecTV?

I am debating the upgrade to my sat equip or wait and switch to FIOS

[bdraw]

I only know one person that lives in Temple terrace and he doesn't have cable or Sat. So I can get him to subscribe. I would love for someone to write a review of the new service.

[RadYOacTiVE]

Now Pasco needs to get on the ball!

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/02/Hillsborough/County_approves_Veriz.shtml

[Bschneider]

I haven't checked out the paper yet so thanks for the heads up.

I put this on the front page so all can read it.

Thanks RadYOacTiVE!

[RadYOacTiVE]

NP! It just happened to be small link in the sptimes.com


From all of the praise on avs, the anticipation is killing me. Worse comes to worse, I hope it will at least drop my outrageous BHN bill.

[Floyd]

There was lightning and rain all day today, and it knocked out my FIOS around noon, leaving me without telephone and internet. They scheduled a repair visit for 4pm but it rained all day and the guy didn't come until it quit raining at 7pm. He had to replace the power supply and the ONT on the outside of the garage. Those guys are busy today, he said.