On Wednesday, July 16, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) will consider a petition from Verizon to waive certain rules and confirm its franchise agreement with the City of New York. Verizon is asking to be exempted from the 5 year build-out requirement and the first-day PEG provision requirement in its bid to offer cable TV service over a citywide fiber optic network.
As we noted in our testimony before the city's Franchise Concession and Review Commission (FCRC) at the lone public hearing on the agreement, there are numerous causes for concern about the agreement. But of greatest concern has been the hasty and secretive process through which the City and Verizon have pushed this agreement through. The lack of transparency has continued as the deal has moved to the state level.
On July 11th, People's Production House joined good government groups and consumer advocates in sending a letter to the New York State PSC in regards to the Verizon-NYC Franchise Agreement, urging the PSC to send the Verizon-NYC Franchise Agreement back to the City of New York to allow for further public input so the agreement can receive the full public consideration it deserves. (Big thank you to Common Cause/NY for penning the letter.)
The letter states, "The Verizon-New York City agreement is a first-of-its-kind agreement that will shape the cable marketplace in New York City for many years to come, and is likely to influence future cable franchise agreements in municipalities throughout the state... Some may see the current process of cable franchise public notification as discouraging meaningful public participation. We see it as prohibitive. It has become abundantly clear... that improvements must be made to the cable franchising process in New York City, as well as at the state level." You can read the full letter here.
The Public Service Commission has been slow to make the relevant documents available to the public, but you can download them here:
- PSC - VZ Letter for Limited Waivers May 2, 2008.pdf
- PSC - VZ Erratum Notice May 22, 2008.pdf
- PSC - VZ Exhibits 1-3 Basis & Rationale May 2, 2008.pdf
- PSC - VZ Exhibits 5-9.pdf
- PSC - VZ Exhibit 13.pdf
- PSC - VZ Exhibits 10-14.pdf
- PSC - VZ Incumbent Providers Acquisition History.pdf
Our coalition, which includes Common Cause New York, Consumers Union, and the New York Public Interest Research Group, earlier joined with members of the New York City Council in calling for a delay in the vote of the Franchise and Concession Review Committee. That delay was denied, though we were able to get Verizon on record addressing a number of our concerns.
Wednesday's meeting will be held at 10:30 A.M in the 19th floor Board Room at Three Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. Those in New York City interested in viewing the Commission's meeting can do so at the Commission's 4th floor Board Room at 90 Church Street. The meeting will also be simulcast on the internet at http://www.newyorkadmin.com.
For more details on the franchise agreement, see our "Analysis of the Verizon franchise agreement." And for background on Verizon's move into fiber optics and the impact this franchise agreement will have on New York City, see, "Verizon FiOS proposes citywide buildout."