Authorizing the Joint Committee on Public Property and Public Works and Technology and Information Services to hold public hearings to review the status of the City of Philadelphia's franchise agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc., particularly on Verizon's progress in making cable television service available across the City.

WHEREAS, Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc. operates Verizon FiOS, a service that offers Internet access, telephone, and cable television over a fiber optic communications network; and

WHEREAS, In February 2009, City Council approved the City’s entry into a franchise agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc. to operate and maintain a cable television service (as defined in the federal Communications Act of 1934) through its cable television system in and along the public rights-of-way and streets of the City; and

WHEREAS, Verizon’s resulting fifteen-year agreement with the City requires the company to make cable television service available to all households throughout the City’s four franchise areas within seven years of the effective date in accordance with the deployment schedule in the franchise agreement; and

WHEREAS, The seven-year deployment timeline will come to an end on Friday, February 26, 2016; and

WHEREAS, The Council and the City of Philadelphia will work in partnership with Verizon to ensure that all elements of the franchise agreement are being administered effectively, and efficiently for the betterment of Philadelphia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Joint Committee on Public Property and Public Works and Technology and Information Services is hereby authorized to hold public hearings to review the status of the City of Philadelphia’s franchise agreement with Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc., particularly on Verizon’s progress in making cable television service available across the City.

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