In what no doubt will be a boost to the telcos’ state and federal efforts to get rid of local cable franchising requirements, the Wall Street Journal has a colorful article today about the franchising difficulties faced by Verizon as it builds out its Fios network.
Teams of Verizon’s lawyers are engaged in the excrutiating and expensive process of persuading local governments to let the telco offering video services.
Budget-strapped local officials, who have the final say over granting cable-TV-service franchises, are greeting the phone giant with expensive and detailed demands. In New York state, Verizon faces requests for seed money for wildflowers and a video hookup for Christmas celebrations. Arlington County, Va., wants fiber strung to all its traffic lights so it can remotely monitor traffic flow. Holliston, Mass., is seeking free television for every house of worship and a 10% video discount for all senior citizens. Others want high-speed Internet for sewage facilities and junk yards, flower baskets for light poles, cameras mounted on stop lights and Internet connections for poor elementary students.
Cynthia Brumfield at 8:17 AM|Comments(0)
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