Verizon Pushes FiOS Broadband into Manhattan

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5:55 am on March 31, 2008 | Category: Telecom Services, Internet

Verizon’s fiber-optic broadband service, FiOS, is making a big push into Manhattan in the form of a recent deal to wire an 11,232-unit apartment complex for the service.

Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, a massive enclave of 110 buildings on Manhattan’s East Side will be the largest Multiple Dwelling Unit (MUD) ever wired for FiOS, throughout Verizon’s 17-state fiber-optic service area.

Seven buildings in the complex were already connected early last week when Verizon formally announced the deal.

FiOS broadband and telephone services are now available in select buildings in all five boroughs of New York City, according to the head of Verizon’s fiber-optic business, Eric Cevis, who noted that the company is currently negotiating a video franchise in the area, which would allow it to offer triple-play (broadband, phone, video) service bundles.

“We really like triple-play areas,” Cevis explained, noting that the company prioritizes them as they tend to provide a greater return on investment.

Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village is owned by Tishman Speyer Properties LP, which purchased it in 2006 for $5.4 billion. The complex is already served by two cable companies, Time Warner Cable Inc. and RCN Corp., both of which already offer triple-play services.