Verizon Communications is expanding its fiber optic television service for the first time to Massachusetts and New York. The company has started taking orders for its FiOS TV service in Woburn, MA, and Massapequa Park in Long Island, NY.
FiOS TV is already available in 14 towns in Texas, one in Florida, and one in Virginia, the Associated Press reported.
Verizon hasn’t confirmed how many subscribers it has for its TV service so far but said that 20 percent of the homes in Keller, a suburb of Dallas, that were eligible for the service had signed up between the launch on Sept. 22 and the end of the year.
The telco has been building out a fiber optic network in several states to replace its copper wires for telephone and Internet service. Verizon’s technology is similar to traditional cable service, with the company broadcasting programming through the fiber-optic cables.
AT&T, its competitor, has opted for newer IP technology, which has caused delays in its deployment.
FiOS TV costs $44.90 a month for a set-top box with a basic lineup of 180 channels, including at least 20 in HD. Installation is free for up to three television sets.