Gresham, Ore., Awards Video Franchise to Verizon

Vote Paves the Way for Innovative, Competitive Choice for TV Service, Delivered Over the Nation's Most Advanced, All-Fiber-Optic Network Straight to Consumers' Homes

BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Residents ofGresham are a major step closer to having a real choice for television service, thanks to a newly approved agreement authorizing Verizon to offer its FiOS TV service, delivered over the most advanced fiber-optic network straight to customers' homes.

The Gresham City Council voted Tuesday (Nov. 18) to grant a franchise to Verizon, paving the way for video choice in the community. The vote brings to 20 the total number ofOregon communities that have approved video franchises for Verizon.

"Approval of Verizon's video franchise is great news for the residents ofGresham, who will soon have more choice for their video entertainment," said David S. Valdez, senior vice president for Verizon's Pacific Northwest region. "We commend the mayor, City Council and city staff for their dedication and hard work throughout this process. They recognize and support the technological advantage and competitive benefits, as well as the distinctive edge in economic development and quality of life, that fiber will bring to their communities.

"We look forward to reaching similar agreements with otherOregon communities," said Valdez.

The franchise votes give Verizon the authority to offer FiOS TV to up to 24,000 households inGresham.

Gresham joins a growing list ofOregon communities that are paving the way for competition and choice in the television market. Verizon has been granted video franchises in the following cities and counties:Beaverton,Cornelius,Damascus, Durham,Dundee,Forest Grove,Happy Valley,Hillsboro,King City,Lake Oswego,McMinnville,Newberg, Rivergrove,Sherwood,Tigard,Tualatin,Wilsonville, andWashington andYamhill counties.

FiOS TV Service Highlights

FiOS TV service highlights include:

    --  More than 400 all-digital channels grouped by genres such as
        entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy
        for audiences to find their favorite programming.

    --  Availability of 98 HD channels in the local market, with extraordinary
        clarity and theater-quality sound.

    --  An industry-leading library of more than 11,000 video-on-demand (VOD)
        titles each month, 8,500 of which are free.  In addition, Verizon offers
        1,000 HD VOD titles per month.

    --  An innovative interactive media guide (IMG) that helps customers quickly
        and easily find and enjoy content from TV listings, VOD catalogs and the
        digital video recorder (DVR) as well as personal music and photos from a
        home network.  Among the features of the IMG are:

            -- Multi-Room DVR -- Verizon's Home Media DVR allows customers to
               stream recorded HD and standard-definition (SD) programs to up
               to six other TV sets throughout the home.  This includes the
               ability to watch three separately recorded shows on three TV
               sets at the same time, plus pause recorded programming in one
               room and continue watching in another.

            -- Widgets -- Customers have one-touch, on-demand access to local
               weather and traffic reports shown on TV screens.  Widgets also
               provide daily local and national news headlines, daily
               national sports headlines, community news and daily
               horoscopes.

            -- Free casual games -- With the remote control and an HD set-top
               box, customers can access chess, solitaire, wordplay and
               Sudoku.

            -- "What's Hot on FiOS TV" -- Features information on the most-
               popular programs currently being broadcast in the region and
               the most popular VOD titles.

            -- Channel sorting options -- Customers can create two separate
               lists of favorite channels for family members.  Customers also
               can filter channels in the guide by genre, for instances where
               a customer may only want to see HD content, international
               channels or kids programming, among others.

Programming choices for Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural audiences are available in every market, making FiOS TV an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.

Consumers can check online at www.verizon.com/fios for more information or to request that Verizon contact them when FiOS TV becomes available. Customers also can call their local Verizon sales office or 888-GET FiOS (888-438-3467).

FiOS TV is delivered over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network, which brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. It also delivers Internet download speeds of up to 50 Mbps* (megabits per second) and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice services.

* NOTE: actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered inNew York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 71 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon

Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,TLS,TVN,CPR,NET,PDT,OR-Gresham-FiOS

   _   _

           

Is your favorite bookmark site missing? Ask for it.