[El Scorcho]

Like many people all over the U.S., I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Verizon's FiOS service in Lynchburg. Like most people, I assumed this was unlikely to happen for the same reason everyone else did. It's Lynchburg.

After talking with some folks who are familiar with such things, however, I've been told (and it could be very wrong) that Lynchburg was originally a potential FiOS market but it was squashed by City Council. Apparently during the February 12th meeting of City Council last year the council voted to repeal section 12.1 of the city code which pertained to cable television. In it's place ordinance number O-08-015 was passed. Conveniently, I have not been able to find the text of that ordinance online.

I was, however, able to find the minutes of that City Council meeting. (Available here - http://tr.im/caum) The gist of the ordinance is that Comcast was given a 15-year franchise on cable television in Lynchburg. From what I've been told (and again, it could be very wrong) the city of Lynchburg interprets this to mean that Verizon's FiOS is a competing product and as such is not allowed in Lynchburg.

I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable than me is reading this and knows whether this has been communicated to me correctly. If it has, I'm wondering what happens next. Will Verizon eventually sue the city? Will they leave it be for the next 14 years? Do the citizens have any recourse or does city council really get to make these decisions for us?

[thepostman]

another reason to hate comcast...great

[Fumblerooskies]

Verizon FIOS may not be available...but Ntelos has FIOS available in the new complex off of Greenview! However, I believe it is only for internet.

[Sly Fox]

That seems like an easy legal challenge for Verizon since FiOS is not cable television. But even a small nuisance would be enough to put off the expense of dropping the fiber for awhile. Although I am sure that all new build in the Lynchburg area is with fiber. Coax is not generally being dropped anywhere in the U.S. these days.

[SuperJon]

Verizon FIOS may not be available...but Ntelos has FIOS available in the new complex off of Greenview! However, I believe it is only for internet.

That may be outside the city limits.

[Hold My Own]

No that's the city

[El Scorcho]

Verizon FIOS may not be available...but Ntelos has FIOS available in the new complex off of Greenview! However, I believe it is only for internet.

I'm glad you said this because there are a couple of things that people seem to not understand about the Ntelos deal over there.

1. FiOS is a brand name for Verizon's fiber to the home product. It is not a technology or anything special. It's just a brand.

2. The Ntelos implementation over on Greenview is nothing like Verizon's product. They're delivering over fiber to the home but everything I've heard says they're not anywhere offering near the Internet speeds or number of television networks that Verizon is offering. What that leads me to believe is that while they may have fiber to the home, they don't have the back-end to support doing anything cool with that fiber. That is very lame and a marketing gimmick at best.

To illustrate my second point, think about it like plumbing. The bigger your pipes, the more water you can push through. Connecting fiber to the home means you've got a big pipe connected to your home. But what's on the other end of that pipe? If they're still just giving you 5Mb Internet and 30 TV stations, you're no better off than you were with cable. Pretty lame, especially if you don't have the option to use cable instead.

[LUconn]

yeah, the city demanded some park or something from them. I'm glad city counsel decided it was in Lynchburg's best interest to stifle any technological progress. That'll bring jobs to the area! Maybe next they'll sign some sort of city internet exclusivity with netzero dial up if it would make them a quick buck.

[flamesbball84]

another reason to hate comcast...great

No, more reason to hate the city council. It's their fault Lynchburg is stuck with Comcast and it's their fault that we won't be having FIOS unless legal action occurs.

[thepostman]

trust me i couldn't hate this city any more then i already do...i can't wait to get the heck out of here

[Fumblerooskies]

Thanks for the explanation, Scorcho.