Long Island Residents Say, 'We Want FiOS!'

Members of CWA Local 1108 and the Brookhaven community flood a town hall meeting to push for Verizon FiOS buildout.

CWA and community activists, elected officials and other residents of Brookhaven, N.Y., jammed a town hall meeting to push Verizon to build out FiOS service for television and high speed Internet to the Long Island town.

More than 500 residents were on hand, rallied by members and supporters of CWA Local 1108 and other community groups. Citizens groups want Verizon to reconsider its decision not to build out FiOS; the company said it doesn't have a franchise agreement with Brookhaven and doesn't want one. Councilwoman Valerie Cartwright said the meeting showed that there is a "great deal of interest" in FiOS.

At the meeting, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said elected officials had informed Verizon that the clock is running on fines levied against the company for failing to clean up hazardous poles in the community; those fines were submitted to Verizon starting Feb. 3.

Without FiOS, residents have little competition for Cablevision service, the principal television and broadband provider in the area.