Syracuse Council wants Verizon FiOS talks

In yet another Northeast city, Verizon is being chided for its failure to build out its FiOS network, despite promises to do so. This time it’s the city of Syracuse, New York.

In response, the Syracuse Common Council passed a resolution on August 26, calling on “... Verizon Communications to apply to the Public Service Commission for permission to enter into immediate franchise negotiations to provide video service in the city and to build its all-fiber FiOS network throughout the city.”

And, it asked that these negotiations take place deployment “as rapidly as possible to all resident, business, and institutions in the City, consistent with protection of the public interest.”

The council action was covered in a local news TV segment.

Availability of FiOS is not merely a matter of consumer choice. As the Syracuse council said, “In today’s society, high-speed Internet is essential to economic development and job creation; improvements in education, health care, public services environmental protection and independent living...”

CWA has for several years been pushing Verizon to build in other upstate New York cities, such as Albany and Buffalo, as well as Syracuse. In fact, CWA released a report, Verizon/Cable Deal: Slamming The Door On Our High Speed-Future, which detailed Verizon’s practice of installing FiOS in the suburbs, but not within these cities.

Syracuse resolution to begin franchise talks (Syracuse Common Council, Aug. 26, 2014)

Verizon Syracuse telecast (Channel 9 Local news, Sep. 3, 2014)

Verizon/Cable Deal: Slamming The Door On Our High Speed-Future (CWA report, 2013)