Philly city council approves Verizon FiOS franchise agreement

The City of Brotherly Love is another step closer to getting a Verizon FiOS offering, as the Philadelphia City Council unanimously green-lighted a 15-year franchise agreement this morning.

A signature by Mayor Michael Nutter is all that remains for Verizon to start a seven-year, $1 billion built-out to the entire city to offer service to its 600,000 residents. The first Philly FiOS customers are expected to be turned up within a year.

Verizon has faced an uphill battle to win the franchise, with City Council members pushing for more minority contractor involvement and more public access monies, and Comcast lobbying against the agreement behind the scenes.

For more:
- Local TV station reports on Philly FiOS vote. Post.

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