Verizon FiOS has heard the AKNA internet group’s pleas and is surveying our street for possible installation! You might be receiving a letter in the mail asking for Right of Way or Access to your home to commence with the installation. Here are some answers to common questions:
1. Granting Right of Way or Access does not require you to subscribe to FiOS service once it is installed. Rather, it gives you (and any future residents) the option to do so at any time in the future. You do not have to pay unless you choose to subscribe.
2. What is FiOS? FiOS is Verizon’s brand of fiber internet, which offers speeds up to 1000 Mbps. For comparison, if you have Verizon DSL now, you’re getting between 3 – 15 Mbps, which is 0.3% – 1.5% of fiber speeds. In real-world terms, this means streaming video won’t stutter, websites will load almost instantaneously, and your internet connection will be more reliable. FiOS also offers TV service and land-line as part of a bundle, but it routes all three services over one data line.
3. We won’t know how they will run the fiber and get it into our homes, but Verizon requires Right of Way before its engineers can assess the site for installation strategies. Yes, this uncertainty is troublesome, but it will be less invasive than the gas-line installations of last year.
4. We’re not certain that we need unanimity, but it’s safe to assume so. For example, if I were to refuse ROW, and the fiber was running West to East (Flatbush to E 21st), I would be foreclosing access to all houses East of me. There’s also the chance that if not enough people grant ROW/Access, Verizon passes us over. If that is the case, THERE WILL NOT BE A SECOND CHANCE for a long time.
5. Internet speed affects property value. Multiple articles and studies have been published to that effect:
- Gigabit Internet Connections Make Property Values Rise
- The Impact of High-speed Broadband Availability on Real Estate Values: Evidence from the United States Property Markets
6. Verizon will not be changing the existing telephone or cable wiring in your home. This merely puts a fiber terminal (a small metal box) in your house. If you choose Fiber service, it’s up to you to figure out how you want to send the signal around your home (Ethernet, WiFi, or over existing copper).
Please email Rex and/or Ian with any more questions you might have, look for updates on this site, and crossed fingers that the terraces enter the 21st century this year!
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