More Cable TV Choice for Consumers in 4 More Massachusetts Towns

Thousands More Households Now Can Order Verizon's FiOS TV, the Only TV Service Delivered Over Nation's Most Advanced Fiber-Optic Network Straight to Consumers

August 6, 2008

NORTHBOROUGH, STOUGHTON, STOW and SUTTON, Mass. - Beginning today, consumers in four more Massachusetts communities - Northborough, Stoughton, Stow and Sutton - have more choice in cable TV providers now that Verizon has introduced FiOS TV, making a broad range of programming choices and superior picture quality available to thousands more Massachusetts households.

These four towns are among 78 Massachusetts communities [see list below] where the company's new television service is or soon will be offered - the only TV service delivered over the nation's most advanced all-fiber network directly connecting to millions of individual homes and businesses.

Verizon is currently negotiating with several other communities in Massachusetts to obtain additional franchises. For more information on the Verizon franchise process in the state, visit FiOS TV - TV on Fiber. TV will never be the same

Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, said, "FiOS TV gives consumers in Northborough, Stoughton, Stow and Sutton an outstanding, superior alternative for their video entertainment. Customers in these towns who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the vast capacity of our advanced fiber-optic network to deliver 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 $104.99 a month.

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.
  
• A total of 31 high-definition (HD) channels for Massachusetts customers, with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound. The company plans to offer all available major HD programming by year-end.
  
• An industry-leading library of more than 10,000 video-on-demand (VOD) titles each month, 70 percent of which are free. The VOD library also includes an increasing number of HD titles, and will offer 1,000 HD VOD titles per month by the end of the year.
  
• An easy-to-use interactive media guide that integrates HD programming, VOD content and the optional digital video recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user experience.
  
• Set-top boxes ranging from a standard-definition box for $5.99 per month to the 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, which 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. A standard-definition Home Media DVR is $17.99 per month.
  
• 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, making FiOS TV an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.

Information on packages and prices is available at FiOS TV - TV on Fiber. TV will never be the same

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (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 almost 100 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 20 Mbps as well as high-quality voice services.

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 24 x 7 technical assistance by phone from its Fiber Solutions Centers in Providence, R.I., and other cities.