Verizon FiOS TV Comes to Sudbury, Westwood, Mass.

SUDBURY and WESTWOOD, Mass., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon has introduced FiOS TV to consumers in Sudbury and Westwood, making a broad range of programming choices and superior picture quality available to some 7,500 households.

Sudbury and Westwood are among 37 Massachusetts communities where the company's new television service is being offered over the nation's most advanced digital all-fiber network, directly connecting millions of individual homes and businesses to fiber optics.

FiOS TV is also available in Acton, Andover, Belmont, Boxborough, Boxford, Burlington, Dedham, Franklin, Georgetown, Hamilton, Hopkinton, Ipswich, Lincoln, Littleton, Lexington, Lynn, Lynnfield, Marlborough, Nahant, Natick, Needham, Newton, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wellesley, Wenham, West Newbury, Winchester and Woburn, as well as other locations in New York, New Jersey, California, Delaware, Texas, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The company also has TV franchises in the Massachusetts communities of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester.

Verizon is currently negotiating with some 30 other communities in Massachusetts to obtain additional franchises. For more information on the Verizon franchise process in the state, visit http://www.verizon.com/ma.

"FiOS TV gives Sudbury and Westwood consumers an outstanding, superior alternative for their video entertainment," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "Sudbury and Westwood customers who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and capacity of fiber-based broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new entertainment experience."

Massachusetts residents who are FiOS TV-eligible now have the option to trim their monthly bills by bundling FiOS TV service, FiOS Internet Service and the Verizon Freedom Value unlimited calling plan, all for $117.97.

Service highlights include: * FiOS TV Premier, the lead offer, delivers more than 200 all-digital channels for $42.99 per month. * A total of 23 high-definition channels with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound. * More than 5,000 On Demand titles available to customers each month from a library that totals 8,600 titles. * The choice of three set-top boxes: standard definition for $4.99 per month; high definition, which includes HD channels, for $9.99 per month; and a dual-tuner, HD-capable digital video recorder for $12.99 per month. * Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite programming. * An easy-to-use interactive programming guide that integrates HD programming, On Demand content and the digital video recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user experience. * The option of Home Media DVR, featuring a multi-room DVR that enables up to three simultaneous viewings of recorded programs without requiring customers to set up a complex home network or buy extra equipment. The recorder is bundled with Media Manager, a new feature that lets customers easily access photos and music from their personal computer and play them on their entertainment center where they look and sound the best. * FiOS TV Widgets, a free interactive feature that provides local weather and traffic information.

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

Information on packages and prices is available at http://www.verizon.net/fiostv. Sudbury and Westwood customers also can call 1-800-880-2943 to see if they qualify to order FiOS TV.

Verizon research indicates 87 percent of Massachusetts residents favor more competition and choice for video services. Independent studies have shown that competition in the video market brings enormous benefits to consumers in the form of reduced prices, better packages and improved service.

Delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. The Verizon FTTP network, the largest of its kind in the country, is currently under construction in more than half the states where the company offers landline communications services, including more than 50 Massachusetts communities.

The network 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 5 Mbps as well as high-quality voice services. Only Verizon's FTTP network has earned the certification of the independent Fiber to the Home Council for providing fiber all the way customers' homes and businesses.

(More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center at http://www.verizon.com/news.)

The value of FiOS TV extends to the installation and customer support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services. Verizon is waiving the installation fee for up to three existing TV outlets, and there is no charge to install a needed optical network terminal at the subscriber's home. Charges for other installation services, such as additional outlets, may apply. Verizon provides 24x7 technical assistance by phone from its Fiber Solutions Centers in Providence, R.I., and other cities.

Verizon Communications Inc. , headquartered in New 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 more than 59 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which operates one of the most expansive wholly owned global IP networks, and Verizon Telecom, which is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 242,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/.

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