Does AT&T work with local governments to keep competition out of an area?
People say in most places in houston, Verizon FIOS is not allowed, only AT&T.
I don’t believe local government has anything to do with it. Verizon and AT&T territories are a federal issue related to the Bell breakups.
Verizon needs permission from a city before they can run around digging up sidewalks to lay cable.
“Verizon needs permission from a city before they can run around digging up sidewalks to lay cable.”
they lay cable under sidewalks?
I don’t know exactly, but they layed it underground in my parents neighborhood, and dug into the little strips of grass between the sidewalks and the street. It was done town-wide regardless of whether you subscribed to Verizon or not. There is no way that Verizon just waltzed in and did that without permission from the town.
In my town in Massachusetts, the town wanted to charge Verizon so much money to install FIOS that Verizon just said “screw it”. My town caved after about two years - all the residents wanted FIOS. Even local governments are so damned greedy.
They do need to get access to the city’s easements, but the issue with AT&T and Verizon not sharing ground-line territory isn’t related to that. I suppose it’s possible that the situation in Houston is because of the City of Houston, but I doubt it since there’s a nationwide issue with Bell companies sharing territories.