The Challenges of Getting High-Speed Internet from Verizon in New York City
TLDR Many people in New York City are unable to get high-speed internet from Verizon Fios, despite the company's promises. There have been reports of prioritization in certain areas, speculation about Verizon's intentions, and challenges in getting permission from landlords.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
A man named Matt Keim is having trouble getting high-speed internet from Verizon, even though his landlord is supportive and willing to give permission for installation.
04:24
Many people in New York City want Verizon Fios but are unable to get it, despite the company's promises and extensive advertising.
08:34
At least 40,000 people in New York City have requested Verizon Fios and haven't received it, leading to theories that Verizon only wants to sell to rich people and that the government has a lot of power in determining the quality of internet service.
12:20
Verizon Fios installations in Manhattan have been prioritized in downtown office buildings and areas with non-profits and startups, and there have been reports of Verizon trucks parked outside people's houses without being able to get Fios installed, leading to speculation that Verizon is only interested in rich customers and that the company did not want to invest in the cost of labor to build out universally.
16:40
Verizon's ambitious plan to wire New York with Fios slowed down and faced more complaints after a regime change within the company, leading to speculation that the new CEO didn't see the value in investing in Fios and that Verizon thought they could get away with not providing Fios to everyone without facing penalties.
20:32
Verizon faced consequences from the city after it was revealed that they did not fulfill their agreement to pass the wire by certain apartments for potential Fios customers, but after the city threatened to sue, Verizon started making improvements and taking complaints seriously.
24:46
Verizon denies any wrongdoing and claims to have fulfilled their agreement to pass all homes with the network by 2014, but admits that the challenge now is getting the network directly into each property.
28:26
Verizon's definition of "passing" a wire means that it goes within walking distance of a house, not necessarily directly outside, and the remaining challenge is getting permission from landlords to bring the network into the actual building.
32:00
The reason Verizon is not more transparent about their plans to bring Fios to certain neighborhoods is because they are in a competitive war with Time Warner Cable and don't want their competitors to know their plans.
35:46
The person speaking is excited about the progress they have made in resolving their ticket and is now considering investigating their cable connection further.
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