Pittsburgh, PA: Verizon broke its promise here, too

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto hascharged Verizon with failing to build FiOS service to the entire city after it promised to do so in exchange for a lucrative city-wide franchise agreement. Peduto was one of 13 mayors that signed a letter to Verizon calling on the company to stop stalling and start installing the high-speed Internet service.

"We have an agreement with Verizon that, over the course of several years, the entire city would be provided with FiOS, and it was the agreement that allowed them to start putting their lines in the public right of way," Mayor Pedutotold local news outlets. "They have now broken that agreement."

"They do not have the city finished, so now we need to seek the damages that were agreed to through the contract," he added. "At this point, I'd have to talk with our law department."

Pittsburgh is the latest city to charge Verizon with breaking its promise and failing to deliver fiber service. Boston wants FiOS, but Verizonrefuses. And Mayor Peduto was among 13 East Coast mayors to sign a letterblasting Verizon’s refusal to build out its high-speed network. The letter to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam highlighted the competitive disadvantage the cities face without access to broadband:

As Mayors, we understand firsthand how vital Broadband is to the growth of our local economies and to nurturing a healthy, competitive marketplace in our state. Our residents use the Internet to search for jobs, build home-based businesses, educate their children and engage in the civic life of our cities.

But consistently and increasingly, our consumers have complained that FiOS service is not available to them. These are not isolated complaints – there are millions of residents in communities throughout the Northeast who have been left without service, and with no plan or promise for future resolution.

New York City issueda damning audit that found Verizon has failed to meet the terms of its 2008 franchise agreement. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called Verizon out by name after asking the New York Public Service Commission forformal proceedings to investigate “the impact of deregulation on consumers and businesses.” Even Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called on Verizon to build out its FiOS service: "I think Verizon needs to hear from the American people. We want them to create more broadband.”

Like NYC, Pittsburgh Claims Verizon Didn't Meet FiOS Promises (DSL Reports, Oct. 8, 2015)

Verizon won’t bring FiOS to Boston (Speed Matters, Oct. 19, 2015)

East Coast mayors blast Verizon: Stop stalling, start building high-speed Internet (Speed Matters, Oct. 5, 2015)

Verizon breaks promise to deliver FiOS to NYC (Speed Matters, June 19, 2015)

New York Attorney General, consumer groups call for investigation of Verizon, NY telecom industry (Speed Matters, Aug. 21, 2015)

Sen. Bernie Sanders stands with Verizon workers for a fair contract (Oct. 27, 2015)