Verizon To Light-Up Boston In Beantown FiOS Service Deal Orchestrated By The Krafty One Himself

In what's being described as a "game changer for the city of Boston," Verizon has agreed to lay some 800 miles of fiber optic cables for its high-speed FiOS service in Beantown. Once complete, the great people of Boston can expect faster downloads and lower prices due to the increased competition in the area.

Verizon's decision to lay the groundwork for its FiOS service in Boston comes as quite a surprise after the company previously said it wouldn't happen. However, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft helped change Big Red's mind by having sit-downs over lunch with Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. Kraft got the two bigwigs to eat together on two occasions last year, and whatever concerns Verizon might have had were apparently talked through during those lunches.

"This is a game changer for the city of Boston," Walsh said. "There should be some competition on pricing, and I think that’s ultimately one of the things in some of the communities that people are looking forward to."

Verizon's fiber optic roll out to the entire city of Boston will replace copper lines that are in use now. The plan is to install the more than 800 miles of fiber optic cable over the course of six years. Dudley Square, Dorchester, and West Roxbury will be the first locations to benefit with fiber optic upgrades this summer, then Hyde Park, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain, and other parts of Roxbury.

In addition to fiber optic cables, Verizon will attach wireless equipment to existing city utility poles to beef up its wireless phone service. That will also allow Verizon to test its 5G cell service in Boston, which apparently played a big role in Verizon's decision to invest $300 million in fiber optic lines. In exchange, Boston will streamline the red tape that's necessary for Verizon to test 5G.