La Plata signs contract to get Verizon's FiOS

High speed cable TV, Internet access are on the way

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008

The La Plata Town Council adopted a 15-year contract with Verizon during a meeting last week that will allow the phone company to offer its FiOS — Fiber Optic Service — capability to all town residents within the next three years. The service will include super fast Internet access and digital television viewing, said Joseph Daniels, assistant vice president of Verizon's external affairs office in Baltimore.

Daniels said that 2,000 households will be able to connect to the service by the end of the year, but exactly who in town will get first crack at the FiOS deal has not yet been determined.

The service will include 500 digital television channels, 105 of which will be high definition, Daniels said, adding that all of the channels should be high definition by the end of the year.

The addition of Verizon's FiOS package will give La Plata residents a choice about what company they want to contract with for cable television and Internet access service, said Mayor Roy Hale.

Currently, Comcast is the only provider of cable television and high-speed Internet access in town, he said.

"This will give our citizens more choice and it's competition," he said.

Included in the town's contract is free cable television service for nine town buildings, including the town hall and department of public works.

One public service channel is also included in the town's contract, said Lori Edwards, Verizon's cable franchising manager.

"We're very excited to be here in town and to be able to offer town residents a choice in services," she said.

Daniels said Verizon is working on a similar contract with the Charles County government to provide the service to Waldorf, including St. Charles. Certain government buildings and public schools in the areas where FIOS is available will be offered free cable service in the contract, he said.

Verizon also wants to draft a similar contract with the town of Indian Head, Daniels said.

Residents can check to see if their area is FiOS-ready by going to www.verizon.com/fios.

nmcconaty@somdnews.com