by KYW's Ian Bush
Some Philadelphia residents are getting another choice when it comes to cable TV.
The "FiOS" service has been available for years in some suburbs. Now, Verizon is starting to roll it out to parts of the city.
Chestnut Hill and some neighborhoods in North and South Philadelphia are getting first dibs. A "soft" rollout began in those areas about six weeks ago.
Gale Given, president of Verizon Pennsylvania, says she hopes that features and price will woo folks from Comcast to FiOS:
"In the end, consumers are the ultimate winners when companies like ours compete."
Verizon is offering $150 cash back and a $99/month deal for a two-year package, including TV, Internet, and phone -- though more channels and faster downloads will cost more.
Several bundles are available, including some package discounts that include Verizon Wireless (cell phone) service.
Verizon officials also tout features such as web and mobile access to your DVR, and onscreen "widgets" (in photo above) for easy access to information such as weather, Facebook, and Twitter from your television set.
Comcast says they have the edge when it comes to channel offerings and technology -- and that new prices for packages will have customers sticking around.
Verizon says it expects to have the fiber optic service in all of Philadelphia over the next seven years. Officials say their technicians install using the existing cable wiring in your home whenever they can.
(Photo by KYW's Ian Bush)
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