| FiOS buildout is dying |
| Written by Dave Burstein |
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Seidenberg's on the way out and Verizon is changing. They have now canceled planned FiOS deployments for all new territories such as Alexandria, Virginia. According to Bryant Ruiz Switzky in the W
 ashington Business Journal, Verizon is "suspending Fios franchise expansion nationwide." They are "indefinitely postponing" building Alexandria after telling the city they would begin construction several months ago. Alexandria is one of the richest suburbs in the world and a natural part of the network with a lower than average likely construction cost. Verizon "will now focus on installing its network and gaining market share within the areas where it already has agreements." Bostonians and 10M other Verizon customers are apparently screwed. Verizon has buildout commitments to New York and other cities that will keep some crews working, but had already suggested they might cut FiOS builds by 2/3rds in 2011. This is now a further cutback, canceling areas that for years they had been promising to serve. Verizon's Harry Mitchell sends their perspective. "The bottom line is that Verizon said in 2004 we’d build to pass about 18 million homes by year-end 2010, and we’re on track to do that with the franchises we currently have. Of course, we will also meet any buildout commitments we made in individual jurisdictions beyond 2010."
Ivan in an investor call suggested one reason they may be cutting their investment: the broadband plan and stimulus are reducing company spending. So Seidenberg suggested he might ask for government money, and the broadband plan has many "incentives" for him to spend less company money. Blair should take this as a signal to yank any offers to pay telcos to upgrade broadband where it already is available from cablecos or others. Smelling government money, they are cutting back their own investment and then demanding the government pay them instead. 2009 was almost certainly the worst year in a decade for expanding broadband in the U.S. Comany after company cancelled firm plans waiting for the government to pay them for what they intended to do without subsidy.
Over the last few years it's become apparent that Seidenberg's personal desire to beat the competition has been the primary reason the U.S. is not further behind. FiOS is the largest new network built in the Western world. Cable's DOCSIS 3.0 was developed as a response to FiOS. Brian Roberts of Comcast tells the story of lookng Ivan in the eyes, deciding he was going ahead, and then giving orders to his team and Cablelabs to go full steam ahead on DOCSIS.
Euille said Alexandria citizens are “clamoring” for Fios and often don’t understand why it isn’t available. “I’m sure the citizens are just as disheartened by this outcome as I am,” he said, adding that the city will look at alternatives.(Switzky) Alexandria can't afford for the neighboring towns to have better Internet service, so building their own network is the obvious step.
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