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from: MultiChannel News

Florida Approves Verizon Statewide Franchise

(Multichannel News) _ The Florida Department of State approved Verizon Communications' application for a state-issued cable franchise, opening the way for the telco to offer FiOS TV service in the Tampa, Fla., area.

from: Neiman Watchdog

Verizon, AT&T and the manipulation of public opinion

COMMENTARY | April 04, 2007

Needed: Blacks, Hispanics, disabled, deaf, low-income and the elderly to support the telecoms’ positions on anti-consumer FCC rulings and legislation.

from: NJ.com

Vineland denies Comcast
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
By JASON LADAY
jladay@sjnewsco.com

VINELAND -- City council voted to deny Comcast's application to renew their 15-year contract with the city during its regular meeting Tuesday night.

Comcast of South Jersey LLC, Vineland's only cable provider, has had a 15-year contract with Vineland giving the company franchise in the city.

from: Forbes

Verizon's Copper Cutoff Traps Customers
By DEBORAH YAO 07.08.07, 1:53 PM ET

When Henry Powderly II ordered Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS fiber-optic service, he knew he was about to be connected to the future of telecommunications.

He also got unplugged from its past. Which meant that while Powderly was gaining features, he was losing some telecommunications options.

from: Hear Us Now

Cutting the Copper Means Less Competition for Verizon, Fewer Choices for Consumers

From HearUsNow.org, July 9, 2007
By Bob Williams

Verizon is yanking out its old copper wiring when it installs its new FiOS fiber optic lines in the homes and businesses of its customers, according to an article by the Associated Press.

Note: Trade away public interest obligations today for the promise of competition in 2012 (well 25% that is).

from: DSL Reports

The Broadband Market in 2012

"The telcos, in terms of the size of their footprint, simply aren't a core issue for cable operators
-Sanford Bernstein's Greg Moffett

from: State House News Service

HOUSE CHAIRS ON MA VERIZON BILL: NOT THIS YEAR

Legislation easing regulations for telecommunications companies looking to break into cable TV markets, which has the backing of Senate Ways and Means chairman Steven Panagiotakos, is unlikely to pass this session, two House committee chairs said yesterday. Reps. Daniel Bosley, House chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, and Brian Dempsey, House chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, said yesterday outside a leadership meeting in House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi’s office that the bill’s prospects this year are dim.

from: PennLive.com

Verizon Can Limit Access to Services, Pennsylvania PUC Says

From Patriot-News, June 22, 2007
By David DeKok

The state Public Utility Commission voted 3-1 yesterday not to stop Verizon Communications from blocking access by low-income people on the Lifeline program to bundled telephone service packages, even if it could save customers money.

from: AP News

Verizon Paid Lobbyist $80K

Thursday June 21, 6:33 pm ET
Verizon Paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in Second Half of 2006 for Cable TV Franchise Reform

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Verizon Communications Inc. paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in the second half of 2006 to lobby the federal government on cable television franchise reform, according to a disclosure form.

from: Mark Sardella

A BAD START FOR VERIZON

22Jun07
A major corporation comes to town and says whatever it needs to say so that local officials will let them do business here, and then waits for the town to threaten legal action before living up to its agreement.

I know–it’s shocking. But that’s exactly what communications mega-giant Verizon did to the town of Wakefield, Massachusetts in the last year.