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Verizon plans to make FiOS hub of home security, heating, electronics

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Verizon FiOS signSpotted on Verizon’s site: In celebrating its 5-year birthday announcement of its young FiOS fiber-optic-based services, Verizon says it plans to offer FiOS customers the ability to add security, heating and air conditioning and various consumer electronics to their FiOS networks.

It’s just a small mention inside the press release, where the company pats itself on the back for managing to offer 15 million homes FiOS TV and Internet services. But it does say this feature will come in “coming months.” Here’s the blurb:

Verizon will further enrich FiOS over the coming months so that it becomes a control hub for much more than home information and entertainment.  Verizon will leverage the dynamic home network built for every FiOS customer, adding such household systems as security, heating and air conditioning and various consumer electronics.

It’s not too difficult to add these services to an existing home network. Some companies, like Irvine-based Smarthome, have been doing it for years. Such services allow people to turn on the heater from their cell phone or get an e-mail alert when their security camera spots something fishy outside the front door.  Other networking companies like Fountain Valley’s D-Link Systems offer inexpensive network security cameras for the do-it-yourselfer.

But building the super home network is not as simple as turning on a switch. Perhaps Verizon has figured out a way for anyone to integrate home security and utilities to the home network? As noted from the press release, details are coming.

In the same press release, Verizon also updates us on how far its fiber-optic TV and Internet services have come. The service, which launched in 2007 in Orange County, will be available to 15 million homes and businesses by the end of the year.

Not everyone is signing up however.  But Verizon offers this update: 25 percent of the households that can order FiOS TV do, while 30 percent who can order FiOS Internet do. That’s about the same as the penetration rates Verizon mentioned it had during its second quarter. Back then, Verizon said 28.1 percent of potential households ordered Internet, while 24.6 percent ordered TV service.

FiOS question of the day: Do you live in a FiOS-eligible neighborhood? Help me track FiOS availability and tell me your zip code by commenting below. Thanks!

Verizon also makes this prediction: Next year, it projects that FiOS Internet penetration will be between 35 to 40 percent, while FiOS TV penetration will be 30 percent, which exceeds the company’s earlier expectations. Translation: If you live in a FiOS neighborhood, you’re probably getting bombarded with fliers and sales people trying to get you to switch service. Hey, even our resident Deals Diva ended up dropping DirecTV for FiOS (see “DirecTV loses another customer to FiOS“).

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