As Service Gaps Remain, New York City Says Verizon Broke Promise on FiOS

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City) has made universal access to affordable broadband a top priority for his administration to help bridge the so-called digital divide between those who can get online easily and inexpensively and those who cannot, as well as to make the city a competitive technology hub. Verizon had agreed to have fiber-optic cable for FiOS pass all three million homes in the city by the end of 2014. Lawyers for each side, however, are arguing about the definition of “pass.”

The company says it has met the deadline. The city’s response: not even close. FiOS remains unavailable in large swaths of the city. The city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications released a scathing audit report in June concluding that Verizon “systematically refused to accept orders for residential service.” By the company’s admission, nearly one-fourth of the blocks in the city have no buildings wired for FiOS, the report said.