The company announced Tuesday that it was bringing Verizon Fios fiber Internet to Worcester customers, as well as those in Brockton, Lowell, Everett, Milton, Newburyport and Plainville, encompassing more than 75,000 homes. The service is available now, with more homes being added through the end of the year.
“Fios benefits Worcester residents as they continue to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic by offering fast and reliable network connectivity at a time when we continue to rely on online services to function remotely,” Mayor Joe Petty said in a press release.
Currently, the only cable and Internet option in Worcester is Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications. The company will continue to be the only cable television option in Worcester. The city’s contract with Spectrum is set to expire in 2023.
Residents have long complained about Spectrum’s service, culminating in early 2021 when Internet outages halted remote learning in the city’s public schools for hours. The School Committee at the time demanded more transparency from the company.
In November 2021, residents at a public hearing repeatedly slammed Spectrum’s service, with complaints ranging from high prices and poor customer service to frequent outages.
A report from the Worcester Regional Research Bureau released in summer 2020 suggested that Worcester should switch to a municipal broadband system.
Verizon said Tuesday that it invested $750 million in Massachusetts in 2021 in preparation for its expansion, installing more than 1,000 miles of fiber. The company currently employs more than 5,000 people in the state.
The network will deliver wired speeds of up to 940 Mbps with no data caps, the company said. Broadband plans will start at $25 per month and deliver at least 300 Mbps. Those who qualify for the Federal Communication Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program will be able to get Verizon home Internet for free.
“Verizon is focused on delivering broadband Internet service, and the major economic benefits associated with it, to the people of Massachusetts,” said Kevin Service, senior vice president of wireline network operations at Verizon. “From Fios to 5G Home, more Verizon customers than ever across the Bay State have access to high-speed Internet to fuel how they work, live and play.”
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