Verizon announced a major investment in expanding its Fios fibre network and services in Boston. The company and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh signed a deal for the operator to invest USD 300 million over six years upgrading the copper network to fibre.
Construction of the fibre-optic network will be completed by neighborhood. The project will begin in Dorchester, West Roxbury and the Dudley Square neighborhood of Roxbury in 2016, followed by Hyde Park, Mattapan, and other areas of Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. A free online registration process will be used to assess demand and help Verizon plan the network. The city has also agreed to provide expedited permitting to support the roll-out.
As a next step, the city will begin the cable television licensing process. Upon obtaining the licence, Verizon expects to offer Fios TV service in Boston.
Verizon also presented a USD 100,000 Digital Equity contribution to the city, which will be used to support a mobile hotspot lending program at the Boston Public Library, enabling internet access to families on an as-needed basis.
The fibre network will also provide backhaul to Verizon's mobile network, supporting planned 5G trials in the city. In addition, the partnership includes a 'smart city' trial that will address traffic safety and congestion along the Massachusetts Avenue Vision Zero Priority Corridor. The city and Verizon will experiment with sensors and traffic signal control technology to increase safety, measure bicycle traffic, improve public transit vehicle flow, and decrease congestion.
