Verizon expands FiOS TV in NY, Massachusetts

Verizon today launched its FiOS TV service in Massachusetts and New York, adding those two states to the three – Texas, Florida and Virginia – where the TV service is available.

Woburn, Massachusetts, and Massapequa Park, New York are the initial communities in which FiOS TV will be offered, delivering up to 330 total channels, 1800 video-on-demand programs and 20 high definition TV channels. The service also comes with specialty programming aimed at ethnic groups, an interactive programming guide and a dual-tuner Digital Video Recorder capability.

Woburn, a suburb of Massachusetts, is the first of many communities in that state expected to get the TV service. Verizon is in negotiations to obtain local franchises in more than 30 communities in the state. Massapequa Park, a Long Island community, is getting FiOS TV after a lengthy battle over Verizon franchise rights fought with Cablevision, which still has a lawsuit pending challenging the process by which Massapequa Park awarded Verizon its video franchise in September of 2005 Verizon already has local franchises in the villages of Nyack and South Nyack in Rockland County, though these must still be reviewed and approved by the New York Public Service Commission. .

FiOS TV is already available in 14 North Texas communities; Temple Terrace, Fla.; Herndon, Va., and surrounding parts of Fairfax, County, Va.