cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| [northeast] How to convince Verizon to build FIOS
Ok, I live in the Reading, PA suburbs between Mt. Penn and Exeter townships. Right now I'm about a mile in from the boarder of Service Electric Cable TV and Comcast. I have Comcast TV/Phone/Internet. Verizon is the phone provider in this area but most they offer is 6mbps DSL, ie) no Fios.
Is there a way to get Verizon to build Fios here? The closest area that has it is about 30 minutes east from here to Stowe, PA (Montgomery County). Then Vz skips Pottstown (city council trouble from what I hear), and continues the majority of southeastern PA up to the Philly burbs (and now they are working on Philly).
Verizon Fios also is to the west of us in Harrisburg, Hershey, and in parts of Lebanon County. So it would seem that it could be slowly approaching us from the east and the west. It seems as if all of Berks County is a Verizon Fios black hole (neglected) area.
I would love to have Fios, and I know most people I speak to around here would also. Is there any way to convince Verizon the importance of building Fios in our area? What would be the best approach? Would it be convincing the township to approach Verizon from that angle, or approaching Verizon with a petition of residents signatures that would sign up? Would it be good to go to the local paper and see if they could write an article to get the attention of Verizon? Are there special contacts within Verizon that I could e-mail or write? I e-mailed general support a few times but they always reply with a generic message about thanking me for my interest, but there are no timelines for deployment.
There are a few area's between Exeter Township and Douglassville which are served by D&E Phone company. This also includes Oley and Boyertown, PA. I would take it that Fios would never be able to be constructed in that area due to another phone provider? I need to know because when planning my next move if that's the case I want to make sure it's a Verizon area for future Fios capability, and not D&E Communications which is a tiny outfit that would never run a fiber to the home network. |
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buckingham
Buckingham Pa
join:2005-07-17
Buckingham, PA
| On your last question, with only a couple exceptions, VZ will not be building out FiOS in areas where they are not the incumbent phone provider.
On your first question, it's unlikely that "you" can do anything about getting them to build out in areas where they don't have a plan to do so. They are not good about disclosure on that, either. |
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JohnA
Premium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA
1 edit | said by buckingham  :On your last question, with only a couple exceptions, VZ will not be building out FiOS in areas where they are not the incumbent phone provider. On your first question, it's unlikely that "you" can do anything about getting them to build out in areas where they don't have a plan to do so. They are not good about disclosure on that, either. I agree. The PA legislature rebuffed Verizon on the only condition that exists where they are overbuilding other phone companies, and/or accelerating their build out to seemingly reach their full service area in a state. That condition is a statewide franchise law.
I warned my local legislator when the statewide franchise law was on the table, that Verizon would pull back on the build out, if they didn't go forward with the statewide franchise option. Resources for the FIOS build out are limited, and the budgets are constrained at the end of every quarter. Only makes sense, that those resources flow to areas where there is less resistance, and existing build out commitments.
I would suggest that PA will no longer be in the center of Verizon's service areas after the Frontier deal occurs. We, at least on the western 3/5ths of the state are looking more like upstate NY. I'd suggest that both states, PA and NY, should be revisiting the statewide franchise issue, if they truly believe that high speed broadband is a motivator of economic growth, and would be helpful to their economic recovery, in these times. |
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mrkevin
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME
clubs:
 ·US Cellular
 ·Dish Network
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Rivah.net
| reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream : which is a tiny outfit that would never run a fiber to the home network. I wouldn't be so sure about that.
We are a small ILEC that is transitioning our entire plant to FTTH.
and the Verizon territory (Fairpoint now) around us won't see fiber for a long time.
Don't underestimate the independent telephone companies.
--
An army of sheep led by a lion, will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. |
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cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
| reply to JohnA
I can write to my local legislators and push it from that angle perhaps. I do think the statewide franchise is a mess, but all I can really do is express my opinion. Were all entitled to that, but that doesn't mean it's going to change anything.
I want to move to a Fios area, but the wife doesn't want to go that far east at this point. She'd rather stay in Exeter township, which is Verizon territory (where she's looking), but of course no Fios. These are pretty nice area's too, I don't see why Verizon would not eventually (at least) bring Fios to those neighborhoods.
I guess I can only write to Verizon, local township authority, senate and house reps, and just keep pushing. I just want 1) Verizon to know that their is high interest with Fios in this area and 2)local governments to allow easy franchising for Verizon to serve Internet / TV / Phone over fiber. I'm not really sure who's at fault for not having Fios, if it's Verizon or the local government entities giving them a hard time. Whatever the problem is, I want to make my point across that it's needed and would help our economy. |
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Slabby
join:2006-06-04
Darlington, PA
1 edit | reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream : D&E Communications which is a tiny outfit that would never run a fiber to the home network. You're right about FTTP not happening in the areas currently served by D&E. Windstream is acquiring D&E, and Windstream has no plans to deploy FTTP outside greenfield areas.
Here's the link to the Windstream press release regarding the pending acquisition of D&E, which is expected to close by the end of the year:
»www.windstream.com/about/NewsDet···wsID=118 |
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