Following 12 other Massachusetts communities, Ipswich granted Verizon Communications a franchise to offer its FiOS TV service.
The decision, made Monday by the town’s Board of Selectmen, was unanimous.
"Reaching one-dozen communities in Massachusetts with FiOS TV in less than one year is a significant milestone for us," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon’s regional president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, in a prepared statement. "It means that we will be able to reach nearly 90,000 households with the most advanced TV network in the country."
In Massachusetts alone, Verizon now offers its fiber-to-the-home TV service in Burlington, Lynnfield, North Reading, Reading, Winchester and Woburn, and it has recently been granted franchises in Hamilton, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield and Wenham.
Built into each franchise agreement are provisions for future growth of the network; capacity for government and education access channels; cable service to government buildings; and insurance, indemnification and enforcement protections.
More than 50 other communities in the state are also negotiating for Verizon FiOS TV, which is also available in locations in New York, California, Texas, Florida, Maryland and Virginia.
