HERNDON, Va. -- The future of television arrived in this northern Virginia community, when Verizon unveiled Verizon FiOS TV over its revolutionary fiber-optic network here. Herndon is the second community to date in which Verizon is offering FiOS TV. The service debuted earlier in Keller, Texas, and customer sales there have been strong. Verizon plans to make FiOS TV available in the future in other communities in Virginia and across the company's service territory.

Information on packages and prices is available at http://www.verizon.net/fiostv. Herndon-area customers also can call 1-800-964-3194 to see if they're able to order FiOS TV.

"FiOS TV gives customers an outstanding, superior alternative for their video entertainment," said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group. "Customers who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We've harnessed the speed and capacity of fiber-based broadband with the power of broadcast to create a revolutionary, new entertainment experience."

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the- premises network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high- definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. Verizon's network design includes backup facilities not common to traditional cable systems, such as duplicate "head ends" where the TV service receives national programming. FiOS TV uses both broadcast technology to deliver scheduled programming and Internet protocol technology for on-demand viewing. Internet protocol television, or IPTV, uses the same protocols to deliver video as the Internet uses to transmit data. While others talk about IPTV, Verizon has deployed it commercially, and the company plans additional IP-based services in the future.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)