Verizon has switched on its FiOS TV service in the town of Hempstead, N.Y., on Long Island. Verizon began taking orders for its fiber-fed TV services today in parts of Hempstead’s unincorporated villages of Baldwin, Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, North Merrick, Roosevelt, Seaford and Wantagh.
The franchise the Hempstead Town Board granted to Verizon set off a small tiff between Verizon and Cablevision Systems Corp. over charges of redlining by the telco
“Verizon is delivering on its commitment to the Town Board to deliver FiOS TV ahead of schedule and make it widely available. No longer will consumers be at the mercy of a single cable TV company,” said Verizon SVP for New York and Connecticut Monica Azare, in a statement.
As per the telco playbook, Verizon studiously ignored the existence of satellite-delivered video services from DirecTV and EchoStar Communications.