Glen Cove One Step Closer to FiOS Access

Glen Cove may be one step closer to getting Verizon FiOS access. 

City Council held a public hearing Tuesday on a proposal to enter into a franchise agreement with Verizon for cable television, internet and phone access, according to Newsday. Currently, the city only has a franchise agreement with Cablevision. 

City Council is expected to vote on the agreement on Nov. 26. It will then go to the state Public Service Commission for approval. If approved, service could be provided as soon as January to the 85 percent of the city already wired.

The update comes after six years of back-and-forth between the City and Verizon. In February, Mayor Ralph Suozzi told Patch that the lack of a "necessary franchise agreement" prevented the provider from offering its fiber-optic network to city residents, even with much of the city wired for service for years.

The company had build-out commitments to other communities, a Verizon spokesperson told Patch last year, a process that takes time and requires the company to bring its product to new customers one municipality at a time.

The absence of a competitor has long left residents with no option other than Cablevision, and complaints of steep bills and no recourse.