Verizon FIOS TV in Franklin

 

August 2, 2022 – VERIZON FIOS UPDATE

FIOS TV UPDATE - AUGUST 2, 2022

Dear Residents,

You may receive mailings and or phone calls from Verizon, regarding FIOS TV in Franklin Township.  Verizon is not telling you the truth when they say Franklin Township is to blame for its residents not having FIOS TV. 

We have encouraged Verizon for years to open negotiations with the Township.   We are a big believer in competition.  They have not been willing to meet with us nor supply us with a draft agreement to review for FIOS TV.

Don’t be afraid to verbally challenge Verizon.  Please get the employees name, telephone number and badge number and supply them to the Township Operations Manager, Jeff Eastburn.  Also, reach out to your State Representative, Congressman and or Senator to help Verizon with their decision-making process.

February 16, 2022 - FIOS TV UPDATE

                                   

With the Verizon FIOS trucks doing work on North Bank Road between Auburn Road and Chesterville Road, excitement started to grow regarding FIOS TV with some of our residents, until they spoke to one of the Verizon workers onsite.

I called the Verizon Franchise Manager who overseas FIOS TV for Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C.  This person stated to me that unfortunately, the residents of Franklin Township will not be getting FIOS TV in the foreseeable future and that they are concentrating their efforts here on high-speed internet.  This is a decision that was made internally by Verizon and that they are focusing their efforts in other areas when it comes to FIOS TV.

It is an untrue statement if any Verizon employee tells you that Franklin Township is not willing to negotiate or sign a contract with Verizon for FIOS TV.  We would suggest that if any Verizon employee tells you this untruth that you ask them for their name, Verizon badge number and telephone number and report that information to Franklin Township.

Franklin Township for many years has encouraged Verizon to provide us with a Verizon FIOS TV agreement, they have failed to do so.

Thank you,

Jeffrey P. Eastburn

Franklin Township - Interim Township Manager

________
 
Verizon continues to misinform residents about offering FIOS TV in the Township.  The Township is not holding up a contract for FiOS TV services. Since early 2013 the Township has been waiting for Verizon to present us with a franchise agreement. Verizon's management acknowledges that Verizon will not provide FIOS TV to Franklin Township. If you speak to a Verizon sales representative and they blame the fact that they will not give you FIOS TV on the Township, they are not telling the truth. 


Below is a summary of the history provided by the Township Manager:

“First, the Township is not holding up a Franchise Agreement for Verizon.  The Board of Supervisors would sign one tomorrow IF Verizon offered one.  Franchise agreements generate income for the Township which helps to supplement our tax revenue.  By law, we are allowed to collect up to 5% of TV services sold by companies such as Comcast and Verizon who deliver their service through wires.  We currently collect the 5% from Comcast.
 
In February of 2013, Verizon representatives came to the Township wanting to provide FIOS service to our residents.  Verizon said they already had 94% of the Township wired.  The Township said “Great, where do we sign?”  Verizon said they would send the contract to us.  To shorten this story, after many phone calls and multiple emails, I was finally told Franklin was not getting a contract; we were not getting FIOS TV services because they were putting their resources in denser areas.  This information came to us in December of 2013.  Over the years we would ask our various Verizon representatives if they changed their mind.  You know the answer. Recently, our municipal representative changed.  The person whose name and number we published on our website would not even respond to our phone calls.  We reached out to their supervisor.  That person would not return our phone calls.  The Assistant to the Township Manager, Jeff Eastburn, took it upon himself to find someone who would talk with us.  That person was Janet Miller.  Ms. Miller was Manager for Franchise Video Services for the entire State of Pennsylvania.  She confirmed for us that Franklin will NOT be getting FIOS TV.  She did not say “never” but it appears that it may truly be never.”  Ms. Miller has recently left Verizon.