Brookhaven To Host Public Hearing On Possible Verizon Cable Franchise Agreement

FARMINGVILLE, NY — A long-sought-after franchise agreement with Verizon to increase service in the Town of Brookhaven is in the works, officials said.

A public hearing will be held at Town Hall in the future to authorize the fire-year agreement, which includes Verizon committing to further infrastructure, if subscribers sign up, town officials said.

Supervisor Dan Panico called the agreement "a monumental day in the town of Brookhaven.

“For decades, administrations, elected officials, supervisors have sought to achieve a franchise agreement with Verizon to come into the town of Brookhaven, and for all of that time, Verizon has been resistant to coming into the town of Brookhaven for a variety of reasons, predominantly the size, the rules and the requirement to wire out a town of this size,” he added.

“Let me say, and let me say clearly, this will be perhaps my George H.W. Bush moment, to ‘read my lips,’ the Town of Brookhaven, in no way ever has kept Verizon from coming into this marketplace,” he added.

A spokesperson for Verizon told Patch that the utility giant is pursuing a cable franchise with Brookhaven “to offer competitive cable service in areas where it currently provides its Fios broadband product.”

“Residents should have access to Fios services once the state confirms the agreement, with the timeline contingent on the completion of the process,” they said.

More competition for service has been a source of community complaints for more than 20 years.

About 38 percent of the town’s residents will be able to participate, Panico said.

Once the town approves the agreement, Verizon will submit it to the state’s Public Service Commission, which is expected to ratify it, making it go into effect.

As to whether the deal would bring more money to the town, Panico said that Verizon’s agreement is “almost identical” to Altice’s.

They're not identical in terms, but the terms of the agreements with the town are almost identical, according to Panico.

“They're not identical in terms, but the terms of the agreements with the town are almost identical,” he said. “One would expect that, as this side of the equation drops, as this side rises, that it would probably be an even amount of revenue to the town. But we also believe there will probably be more in terms of gain in Verizon continuing, also without a loss to licensing fees."

"I think it's a reasonable expectation," he added.

The PSC does not, however, regulate internet service providers, “but it is not beyond reason to believe that as Verizon makes a foray" into the town, they might offer what is known as what used to be "a triple play," which was for cable, internet, and phone, "or something like that, to bring in those people who otherwise have a different service,” Panico said.

“And you know, in very basic terms, it's no different than the play between Verizon AT&T and T-Mobile to offer incentives to get existing customers to switch,” he added.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner, who is the longest-serving councilmember, said constituents will be ecstatic that they will have more choices.

“As far as I'm concerned, the residents will benefit tremendously by saving money and being able to negotiate with whether it be Altice, Verizon, or any other provider, streaming service, that they can get a better rate from another company and make those companies work for [them] instead of the other way around,” she said.