Consumers Report High Levels of Satisfaction Purchasing Home Technology, Finds CEA Survey

Study Shows Significant Levels of Regret Among New Home Buyers Who Did Not Purchase Home Technologies

Arlington, Virginia - Consumers who purchased technology, such as home theater and monitored security systems for their new home exhibit high levels of satisfaction, according to research recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®). According to the “New Home Buyers and Technology Purchases” study, overall satisfaction is above 75 percent for all the technologies tested: owners of home theater systems have the highest satisfaction rate at 89 percent. The study was presented by CEA’s Director of Research Joe Bates at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco, California.
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Consumers in Burlington, North Reading and Winchester Can Experience Better Television; New Service Provides More Choice and Greater Value

BOSTON — Verizon has introduced FiOS TV to three more communities north of Boston, making a broad range of programming choices and superior picture quality available to 57,500 residents. Burlington, North Reading and Winchester join Lynnfield, Reading and Woburn as the first Bay State markets for the company’s new fiber-optic television service, delivered over the only all-digital, fiber network that is being made available, on a mass scale, to millions of individual homes and businesses.

Also today, Verizon announced that on Tuesday (June 27) the Board of Selectmen in Stoneham, Mass., unanimously approved Verizon’s request for a 10-year cable-TV franchise license to provide FiOS TV in that community of 22,000.
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Hatfield Borough First Community in Montgomery County Consortium to Grant Verizon Cable Franchise; Choice, Competition Nearer for Residents

Borough Blazes the Trail for Some 30 Consortium Member Communities to Advance Cable Alternative for Nearly 225,000 Potential Viewers

HATFIELD, Pa. – Residents of the Montgomery County borough of Hatfield are a major step closer to having a real choice for their cable television services, thanks to the borough council’s vote last night (June 28) authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic powered FiOS TV here.

Hatfield Borough is the first member of a consortium of some 30 Montgomery County communities to approve a cable franchise with Verizon. Earlier yesterday, the consortium’s steering committee announced that it reached an agreement with Verizon on the terms of a cable franchise and recommended that each of its member communities grant Verizon a cable franchise. Nearly 225,000 potential viewers reside in the Montgomery County municipalities represented by the consortium.
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Verizon Obtains Fourth Chester County Cable Franchise; Pennsylvania Franchise Count up to 11

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Residents of the Chester County township of West Goshen are a major step closer to choice for their cable television services, thanks to the township supervisors’ vote yesterday (June 28) authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV there.

The township is the fourth Chester County jurisdiction – and the first of the six West Chester Area Council of Governments member communities – to grant Verizon a cable franchise. The council of governments on May 22 recommended that each of its six member communities approve a cable franchise with Verizon.
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Verizon Goes to Court to Break Impasse and Bring Cable Choice, Lower Prices to Montgomery County, Maryland

County’s Unlawful Cable Franchise Demands Violate First Amendment, Federal Law; Protect Cable Monopoly

County Is Costing Households More than $725,000 per Month in Lost Savings by Preventing Verizon From Offering Cable Choice

WASHINGTON - In an effort to bring video choice and competition to citizens of Montgomery County, Maryland, Verizon today filed a federal lawsuit against the county for its unreasonable and illegal cable-franchising process and demands.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Greenbelt, asks the court to declare that Montgomery County’s cable franchise process and requirements violate federal communications and antitrust law, as well as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Verizon is asking the court for a preliminary injunction invalidating Montgomery County’s current cable franchising law and directing the county to negotiate a franchise with Verizon on lawful terms within 60 days. At the same time - in an effort to help speed the negotiations to resolution - Verizon is asking the court to invalidate the numerous unlawful requirements the county is attempting to impose on the company.
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Cablevision to Deliver Sixteen Exclusive Spanish-Language New York Mets Games to iO® Digital Cable Customers

First Spanish-Language Mets Game Cablecast Scheduled For June 30 Against The New York Yankees

BETHPAGE, N.Y., June 29, 2006 — Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) announced today that it will bring select 2006 regular season Mets games in Spanish to its Spanish-speaking customers beginning with tomorrow night’s game against the New York Yankees. Games will be broadcast live with Juan Alicea and Billy Berroa calling the action.

The games will be available through Cablevision’s iO en español (iOe) Spanish-language tier on channel 231 and to iO: Interactive Optimum® digital cable customers on channel 198 in areas where iOe is not yet available. The Spanish-language cablecasts will be available to Long Island customers later this summer, when iO en español launches across Long Island.
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DIRECTV Adds Nine More Local HD Markets; Now Offers Access to Local HD Programming in 36 Markets Representing 57 percent of U.S. TV Homes

HD Local Channel Service Activated Today in Baltimore, Cleveland, Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Hartford, Conn., Miami, Orlando, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., and West Palm Beach, Fla.

WHAT: DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading digital television service provider, is now offering local HD programming via satellite to customers in the Baltimore, Cleveland, Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Hartford, Conn., Miami, Orlando, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., and West Palm Beach, Fla., DMAs.
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Verizon Unlocks Full Potential of Fiber-Based FiOS Internet and Video Services With Advanced 100-Mbps Broadband Home Router

New Broadband Home Router Supplied by Actiontec Electronics Now Being Installed in Customers’ Homes When They Order FiOS Internet Service and FiOS TV;

Device Also Reduces Installation Times While Avoiding Need to Install New Equipment for Future Services June 28, 2006

NEW YORK – New customers of Verizon’s industry-leading FiOS broadband and video services, provided over the company’s fiber-to-the-premises network, will now receive the most advanced in-home broadband networking router available today.

The new router – designed and built to Verizon’s specifications and supplied by Actiontec Electronics of Sunnyvale, Calif. – is the basis of Verizon’s digital home architecture, and is capable of providing connectivity to the FiOS network at speeds of up to100 megabits per second (Mbps). It leverages existing in-home wiring for broadband data and video signals and delivers easy, high-quality, more reliable home-networking solutions to provide connectivity to the increasing number of connected consumer devices. The new broadband home router also supports remote management that uses new industry standards known as TR-069, enabling Verizon to perform troubleshooting without having to dispatch a technician.

Customers who purchase Verizon’s FiOS Internet Service products, as well as those who order FiOS TV, will automatically receive the new router as part of the installation.
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Verizon Obtains 13th Washington Metro Area Cable Franchise; Expects to Quickly Offer FiOS TV to Leesburg Residents

LEESBURG, Va. - Residents of Leesburg are a major step closer to real choice for their cable television services, thanks to last night’s (June 27) unanimous Town Council vote authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV here.

Leesburg is the 13th Washington metropolitan area jurisdiction to grant Verizon a cable franchise. The company has also obtained a 14th franchise in Henrico County, Va.

Verizon offers FiOS TV in more than 50 communities in parts of Virginia and six other states: California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Texas. It is adding new markets as it obtains franchises giving it the legal authority to do so.
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Perris and Temecula City Councils Vote for Video Competition, Consumer Choice and Value

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Perris and Temecula residents are a major step closer to having more choice for their cable television services, thanks to separate city council votes last night (June 27) in favor of allowing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV in these communities. The Temecula vote is final, but the Perris City Council is expected to take up the issue again for a final vote at its July 11 meeting.

“These votes are great news for the residents of Perris and Temecula,” Verizon West Region President Tim McCallion said. “We commend the mayors, council members, city staff and city attorneys in both communities for their dedication and hard work throughout this process and await the Perris City Council’s final vote next month. Competition drives innovation, value and service quality, and we will compete aggressively for business in Perris and Temecula with our FiOS services, which are fueled by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network.”
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