FiOS TV Hits One Million Subscribers

NEW YORK, January 29:
Verizon has announced that its fiber-optic television service, FiOS TV, has
surpassed one million customers since its launch in September 2005, making it
the tenth-largest cable provider in the U.S.

According to company
figures, 2007 was a benchmark year for Verizon, in which they added a total of
943,000 new FiOS TV customers. Infrastructure for the service, which can be
purchased alone or in a triple-play package with FiOS Internet and voice
service, was also bulked up, expanding availability to nearly 6 million homes.
Including satellite TV customers served in partnership with DIRECTV, Verizon
has more than 1.8 million video subscribers in the U.S.

At the end of the year,
Verizon was marketing FiOS TV to nearly 5.9 million homes in 13 states, up
nearly 1.2 million from the end of the third quarter. Penetration rate for the
service at the end of 2007 averaged 16 percent across all markets. The company
plans to continue expanding availability to new communities.

During 2007, Verizon
rolled out its interactive media guide to give customers more control of their
viewing experience. The service is now available to all customers, and Verizon
plans to add more new FiOS TV features, including games and expanded widgets,
during 2008.

Also in the works is the
continued addition of new HD channels and programming. The company plans to
make available a new bouquet of HD channels this spring, and has revealed a
goal of providing 150 HD channels by year’s end.

Currently, the service is
available in 13 states: California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas
and Virginia.

"Some experts doubted
that we could come this far this fast," said Virginia Ruesterholz, the
president of Verizon Telecom. "We launched FiOS TV just 28 months ago in
one Texas market. While we're delighted to pass the 1 million milestone, we
know that the real winners are our customers, who now have a genuine choice for
their cable television service."

—By Ned Berke