Verizon Brings the Future of TV Entertainment to the Coachella Valley

LA QUINTA, Calif., Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in the Coachella Valley who are thinking about upgrading to an Internet-connectible television or adding a media player box in time for the holidays need look no further than Verizon's FiOS TV, which comes packed with all the advanced features that these devices promise -- without the additional expense and installation hassles.

FiOS TV – the nation's most advanced home-entertainment service – includes streaming Internet video, Facebook and Twitter Widgets, and the latest addition, FlexView, which lets users watch TV content on the go via a PC, tablet or smartphone. These features and more – which cable and satellite providers can't match – will be offered starting Wednesday (Dec. 15) when FiOS TV becomes available  to 55,000 homes and businesses in parts of La Quinta, Indio, Palm Desert, Bermuda Dunes, Coachella and Indian Wells.

"If you enjoy home entertainment, you owe it to yourself to learn more about FiOS TV so you can fully appreciate why you'll love this service and why it's an incredible value," said Margaret Serjak, president of Verizon California. "We offer all the latest capabilities that you simply can't get from a traditional TV provider -- and all at an extremely competitive price. When you take a minute to compare what you get with FiOS, we're confident you'll agree there's no contest."  

Residents of the Coachella Valley can check online at www.verizon.com/fios or call 888-GET FiOS (888-438-3467) to see if they qualify for FiOS TV and order the service.

Verizon offers a triple-play bundle that features FiOS TV, blazing-fast FiOS Internet and crystal-clear FiOS Digital Voice service for as low as $89.99 per month. Consumers can also sign up for a quad-play bundle that adds Verizon Wireless service starting at $39.99 more a month with a two-year commitment. The final bundle price will vary depending upon which wireless plan is selected.

New FiOS consumers who order a Verizon bundle as part of a two-year contract can take advantage of the Worry-Free Guarantee, allowing them to cancel their service within 30 days of the date of activation, with no termination fee.

While consumers are assured of getting the most up-to-date service when they sign up for FiOS TV, they can support local registered nonprofit groups through Verizon's Velocity Program. Under the program, Verizon will make a donation of up to $65 to the organization when they order a qualifying FiOS service.  

FiOS TV Service Highlights

Among the features of FiOS TV that set it apart from traditional service is a Home Media DVR that enables families to view, record, pause and rewind programming on up to three TVs in the home at the same time. All FiOS TV HD customers also have access to Media Manager, free software that lets users access on their TVs personal videos, photos and music stored on their home computers. Customers can also watch online videos from YouTube, Veoh, blip.tv and Dailymotion and stream Internet Radio music from the PC to the TV.

FiOS TV offers more than 540 all-digital channels in the Coachella Valley, including 113 high-definition (HD) channels – more HD channels than the area's current cable provider, Time Warner. The wide array of programming choices include extensive channels that appeal to Latino, African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural audiences.

FiOS TV multicultural programming choices include a Spanish-language package with 31 of the most popular Spanish-language channels available, including Galavision, ESPN Deportes and CNN en Espanol. Verizon's La Conexion package, a combination of the best in Spanish- and English-language programming, with more than 125 channels including the 31 Spanish-language channels, up to 14 HD channels and more than 54 of the most popular channels in English. La Conexion is available separately or in a bundled package with FiOS Internet and voice service.

FiOS TV customers receive many other benefits that are included in their service at no additional cost. For example, FiOS TV includes more than 19,000 monthly video-on-demand titles (70 percent of which are free), including 3,300 in HD, and next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; DVR management via broadband or cell phone; and more.

FiOS TV is delivered over Verizon's all-fiber-optic network, which brings the power and capacity of fiber optics directly into people's homes and has industry-leading quality and reliability.  The fiber network also offers FiOS Internet Service, which delivers downstream speeds of up to 50 Mbps (megabits per second) and upstream speeds of up to 35 Mbps, as well as high-quality voice services.

The speed, reliability and value of Verizon's FiOS also make it an ideal communications platform for small businesses. In addition to TV, broadband Internet access and phone service, Verizon offers small-business packages that deliver online backup storage, E-mail encryption and communications management tools.

Free Verizon Wi-Fi access at thousands of locations across the U.S. is available for FiOS Internet customers with packages of 20 Mbps or faster. Wi-Fi hot spot locations include hotels, airports, restaurants, coffee shops, retailers and other public locations across the U.S.  For a list of hot spot locations, visit www.verizon.com/hotspots.

Outstanding Customer Support

The value of FiOS TV extends to installation and customer support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service for up to three existing TV outlets and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services.  

Verizon FiOS customers also have access to the Verizon In-Home Agent, a free application that gives them valuable tools to set up services, configure Wi-Fi links, set up and manage voice mail, auto-fix video problems, trouble-shoot and correct Internet issues – all with the simple click of a mouse.

(More information about FiOS TV and fiber optics is available in Verizon's online News Center at www.verizon.com/news.)

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 93 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 195,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon