The Manatee County Commission yesterday became the second municipality in Florida to award a 15-year video franchise to Verizon Communications Inc.
The nation’s largest local phone company will deliver its FiOS TV product to consumers via its fiber network. Verizon plans to be able to offer the services by 2006.
The franchise does not apply to other communities in the county, including the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Longboat Key and Palmetto. Temple Terrace also has given Verizon the thumbs-up to bring FiOS TV into the region.
The agreement with Manatee County contains provisions for the network’s future growth; financial support and capacity for educational and governmental access channels; support for a future institutional network that can link schools, libraries and other institutions; cable service to government buildings at no cost; and other clauses regarding insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.
FiOS broadband products deliver data speeds ranging from 5mbps to 30mbps. Verizon will introduce its FiOS TV product in North Texas later this year, adding additional communities as franchises are obtained.
In the meantime, the company also announced yesterday it has made separate content agreements with The America Channel, Blackbelt TV, Expo TV, LIME and the Pentagon Channel. Verizon will carry the channels on Verizon FiOS TV when it launches later this year.
