Verizon competitor Cablevision recently announced they'd be offering free Wi-Fi to all of their customers in the New York City tri-state area. Verizon responded swiftly to Cablevision's offer, calling it it a "marketing stunt." So it's interesting to see Verizon today announce they're going to...offer their broadband customers free Wi-Fi. Verizon's deal is with Boingo, who most notably provides Wi-Fi to Barnes And Noble Bookstores and Starbucks.

According to Verizon, new FiOS customers at 25/15 Mbps or faster -- or new DSL customers at 3Mbps or faster -- can connect to the Verizon Wi-Fi hotspots at no charge. The new Wi-Fi service is also available free of charge for existing FiOS Internet customers with up to 20 Mbps service and existing DSL customers who have either an up-to-3 Mbps or up-to- 7.1 Mbps package.

Yes, Verizon confirms to us this means there will be a few customers who don't get to play along, including entry level 1Mbps/384kbps DSL customers, and customers with 10Mbps or 15Mbps FiOS connections. Verizon offers a directory for the 13,850 Boingo hotspots you'll get access to after you log in via the Verizon portal to download a wireless access application (sorry kids, Windows Vista and XP only).

Right now, the deal doesn't extend to Verizon Wireless customers. Given the fact that Boingo resells AT&T's Wi-Fi service, you have to wonder if it ever will. It's unlikely that AT&T really wants a wireless competitor offering the same perk it offers its own wireless phone customers.

If you recall, Verizon used to offer free Wi-Fi in Manhattan, but scrapped the project back in 2005. At the time, Verizon seemed surprised at how the free Wi-Fi access helped lower their customer defection rate -- and at one point planned to install 1,000 or more access points around Manhattan. However, the trial was scrapped, and Verizon had been publicly skeptical about the benefits of free Wi-Fi -- until today.