What is Verizon FiOS TV?
Verizon FiOS TV was made available in Keller, Texas on September 22, 2005. FiOS TV is provided over a fiber to the premises (FTTP) network, which according to Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group, allows the "speed and capacity of broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new entertainment experience."Some things to expect with a FiOS TV according to Verizon include a fiber optic network, extensive video on demand, extra HDTV channels, quality picture and sound, premium channels and international channels. At launch, Verizon FiOS TV had 330 total channels. The FiOS TV network allows Verizon to compete with cable provider's "triple play" offers, which usually includes digital cable, digital phone and cable high speed Internet.
A large amount of buzz has surrounded the Verizon FiOS TV roll out, since consumers and legislators alike hope that Verizon's TV offerings, as well as TV options from other telephone providers, may drive down prices for cable consumers as well as those who choose to subscribe to TV services provided by the telephone providers. And the buzz seems to be justified. According to a survey conducted recently by a new consumer group, prices have lowered in Texas after the roll out of Verizon FiOS TV.
In a synopsis of their study, the American Consumer Institute writes that their findings indicate "that consumers in the survey area were saving millions of dollars due to competition. If benefits could be replicated across the U.S., this study finds that consumers would receive $23 billion in benefits per year, or approximately $19 per month per household." You can find out more about the study by reading the article>Consumer group: Video competition working in Texas.
The FiOS network is growing at an amazing rate and is currently available in several states. Although FiOS TV is not available nationwide yet, Verizon's CFO Doreen Toben said in February that the FiOS roll out is going well and the customer take rates for FiOS are "well on plan." She made these comments at an investor conference in Florida, saying that deployment costs are actually declining.
