Consumer Groups Urge Caution as Verizon Expands Digital TV & Internet Service TAMPA (WUSF) - Tampa city attorneys are negotiating a new Verizon franchise agreement for digital TV and internet service. Temple Terrace has already signed at 15 year deal with Verizon.

Florida Consumer Action Network Executive Director Bill Newton says Verizon should adhere to the same public standards as other pay TV services.

NEWTON: "Cable TV has to provide funding for government channels and for the public access center - Verizon should have something to do with those as well."

FCAN is also concerned about red lining certain poor neighborhoods out of the service area - but according to Eric Rabe - vice president of media relations for Verizon:

RABE: "There's absolutely no evidence what so ever to cause concern about whether Verizon will red line. We have not done this in the past in all of the services that we've deployed you can't find a single example of where we've done that."
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