Boston city councilors on Verizon FiOS: Screw that, city can find an alternative

Why are these guys so surprised that Verizon isn't interested in expanding FiOS to Boston when they've said publicly that they are done rolling out FiOS to new markets?

sources in an urban area like Boston, broadband over power line (BPL) service is the LAST thing we should be advocating for. Unless we want endless problems with radio interference to public safety systems, among others.

And BPL providers are notorious for not addressing such concerns either.

You'd think they'd make at least a pretense of not being a monopoly. My remote broke so stopped by their location in Roslindale/WR on Washington Street on a Saturday while running errands - they were closed Saturdays - and of course Sundays. Now I knew they were closed once a week for two hours in the middle of the day for a "team meeting in Danvers" or some such so I checked their hours to see what evening I could stop by. They are only open from 9 am - 5 pm (except of course for the aforementioned random midweek team meeting requiring the attendance of the entire Metro Boston staff). So if you have a regular job and need to go to the service office - basically you have to take a vacation day - or at least half - to get a new remote.

Then I decided to go to their Watertown location on my way back into the city from a meeting - only to find that there are two people there - that take lunch at the same time and there was a sign - closed until 2:10 pm (2:10?) for lunch. So I waited a half hour and finally got my remote from a dimly lit grungy office on Main street - if they put up bullet proof glass like at the other location I'd have thought I was pawning stolen goods at a pawn shop.

Nice to know that for almost $200 a month for pretty basic cable and high speed internet I can find a narrow window at the nearest service center miles away where someone actually is in the office.

Not sure what I can do about the internet access - we need it for work - but we are looking into cutting the cord on the cable. I need to watch less TV anyway!

...And no FiOS for Boston. So why'd Donny walking around town whoring his Bostonian cred to a corporation that has no interest in the city itself.:( https://vimeo.com/76144616)

...And no FiOS for Boston. So why's Donny walking around town whoring his Bostonian cred to a corporation that has no interest in the city itself.:( https://vimeo.com/76144616)

How to research your local government
https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/3ptqcm/how_to_research_your_loc...

Is EarthLink Cable Internet available to all Boston Neighborhoods?

People in Boston and Massachusetts need to look closer at this and understand that Verizon was never coming to begin with - at least not now. There is substantial ink on this at a site called "DSL REPORTS." where on line services are discussed, and where, in this case, some Verizon (VZ) techs have taken pity and help a few people with special cases.

1) Verizon has stopped rolling out FIOS fiber optic all but nationwide. The only place that FIOS is getting added is in places where the main fiber trunks have been laid and they want to expand and fill up capacity. The constant TV adverts for FIOS are immaterial to anyone in Boston. it's not there now and won't be in the future because VZ has ceased all construction on FIOS. If your community has it now, you may be able to get connected. There are a few places where VZ is being mandated by law to roll it out or connect people but again... important statement... no new fiber is being laid anywhere. They are just in-filling and adding where mandated by law or other legal mitigation.

2) Verizon is slowly cutting back on its DSL market. If you have a working DSL line on your copper wire phone line, cherish it and keep it running. DSL reports is rife with people's stories where a customer dropped DSL to get cable, didn't like it or had problems, and when they tried to go back to DSL - in some cases only by weeks of time - were told it was no longer available. Tough luck Charlie. Many central station buildings where your DSL comes from are already at capacity and have no more connections. If it croaks, you may not be able to get it fixed either. Thanks to deregulation, VZ has no obligation to fix it either and may even cut your speed to make the line quality tester they have look better. If it seems to work better and easier at a lower speed they drop it. Loads of stories like that. And that all gets done by their off shore service people. Let's not go there.

3) Verizon is getting out of the copper wire telephone service. They claim that is not so but if you look you will find that they are rapidly selling off entire copper networks to a company called Fairpoint Communications. In this area they have already sold off ME, NH, VT, and some people in western MA were impacted by this due to how cables are strung. This company has raised DSL rates and struggles to maintain a copper network that is aged and failing. VZ then re-enters the market and offers customers a black box that ties your hard-wire phone to its cell phone network as a replacement offer to stay with them, but this is a phone service box only. if you want wireless internet it's another device and a higher rate than you had before. If you don't believe this, wake up. They just sold off their holdings in California - yes the whole massive state.

4) Deregulation also allowed them to stiff everyone demolished by the hurricane in NY & NJ. They were under no obligation to restore their copper networks in devastated coastal areas. There, people were offered the black box to connect to cell towers. many were also forced to go to wireless internet at higher rates because even the cable companies are still trying to catch up in those areas.

5) Wimax, a wireless internet service that was in the greater Boston area has been purchased by Sprint. Users have been required to buy a new box or dongle for that. Fewer providers, less competition in rates.

So kiss off FIOS here or move out of Boston and see what you can get. Any new potential for another carrier is great news when you add up all of these things.