GNG News Guy
05-20-2008, 02:40 PM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/26/45226.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NYC-FiOS-Public-Hearing-Today-94591)
Verizon spent much of the past year negotiating a deal to bring FiOS to NYC with Mayor Bloomberg's office. At no point have the closed door negotiations involved input from the public, and the actual franchise agreement appears nowhere on the NYC website (though it is hosted elsewhere (http://breitbart.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/public-hearing-on-proposed-verizon-cable-tv-franchise-tomorrow/)). Now with the deal all but wrapped up, the city is holding a public hearing today, but gave attendees all of 22 hours notice (http://www.newnetworks.com/franchisenotice.htm).
Verizon has promised to have the whole city wired with FiOS by 2014 (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/94001), but the franchise agreement deserves a closer look than it's getting. For instance, Verizon is pushing a $200 early termination fee, and as usual, the 5% franchise fee is simply being pushed through to consumers. The penalties for failure also aren't exactly steep. Here's the penalty fees Verizon (who just won a $679 million contract (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIhOk5aqqLHtDPoUF7Vb90drr2XwD90LL5OG0) from the Department of Homeland Security) has to pay for failed deployment checkmarks:2008: Thiry-Five Million Dollars ($35,000,000)
2009: Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000)
2010: Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000)
2011: Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000)
2012: Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000)
2013: Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000)
2014: One Million Dollars ($1,000,000)
I'm sure Verizon's terrified of only having to pay a few million to skip out on their obligations once the city's most lucrative areas are wired. Bruce Kushnick, every telco employee's least favorite person, dissects the agreement in more detail here (http://www.newnetworks.com/verizonfineprint.htm). For those in NYC who care about your broadband future, the hearing is to be held today at the NYC College of Technology, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY. The hearing begins at 3:00pm (an hour from now, you'll have to run) and is anticipated to run until at least 6:00pm.
Joshua Breitbart notes (http://breitbart.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/public-hearing-on-proposed-verizon-cable-tv-franchise-tomorrow/) that after the Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) hearing today, there's a second public meeting scheduled for 11am next Tuesday, May 27 at 22 Reade Street. It's unlikely your bullhorn will have much of an impact on the final agreement at this late juncture, but it's worth a shot.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NYC-FiOS-Public-Hearing-Today-94591)
Verizon spent much of the past year negotiating a deal to bring FiOS to NYC with Mayor Bloomberg's office. At no point have the closed door negotiations involved input from the public, and the actual franchise agreement appears nowhere on the NYC website (though it is hosted elsewhere (http://breitbart.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/public-hearing-on-proposed-verizon-cable-tv-franchise-tomorrow/)). Now with the deal all but wrapped up, the city is holding a public hearing today, but gave attendees all of 22 hours notice (http://www.newnetworks.com/franchisenotice.htm).
Verizon has promised to have the whole city wired with FiOS by 2014 (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/94001), but the franchise agreement deserves a closer look than it's getting. For instance, Verizon is pushing a $200 early termination fee, and as usual, the 5% franchise fee is simply being pushed through to consumers. The penalties for failure also aren't exactly steep. Here's the penalty fees Verizon (who just won a $679 million contract (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iIhOk5aqqLHtDPoUF7Vb90drr2XwD90LL5OG0) from the Department of Homeland Security) has to pay for failed deployment checkmarks:2008: Thiry-Five Million Dollars ($35,000,000)
2009: Thirty Million Dollars ($30,000,000)
2010: Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000)
2011: Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000)
2012: Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000)
2013: Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000)
2014: One Million Dollars ($1,000,000)
I'm sure Verizon's terrified of only having to pay a few million to skip out on their obligations once the city's most lucrative areas are wired. Bruce Kushnick, every telco employee's least favorite person, dissects the agreement in more detail here (http://www.newnetworks.com/verizonfineprint.htm). For those in NYC who care about your broadband future, the hearing is to be held today at the NYC College of Technology, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY. The hearing begins at 3:00pm (an hour from now, you'll have to run) and is anticipated to run until at least 6:00pm.
Joshua Breitbart notes (http://breitbart.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/public-hearing-on-proposed-verizon-cable-tv-franchise-tomorrow/) that after the Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) hearing today, there's a second public meeting scheduled for 11am next Tuesday, May 27 at 22 Reade Street. It's unlikely your bullhorn will have much of an impact on the final agreement at this late juncture, but it's worth a shot.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NYC-FiOS-Public-Hearing-Today-94591)