This is a suggestion that I hope will be read by someone in Verizon. Yes, I know that this is a peer to peer user community, but I'm hoping that Verizon monitors it.
Here's the suggestion: Set up a feature in your website that allows anybody to find out the status of FIOS in some locality. This should be available to the general public, with no sign in necessary. Here's how it might work:
The user enters two three digit numbers into two boxes. The first is the area code, and the second is the exchange. I'm calling the three digits immediately after the area code the exchange. Then the user hits the "Inquire button". VZ looks up in a little database, and tells the person what VZ provides for internet access in that exchange. Nothing company private, just info that's in the public record.
Possible answers:
1. Exchange not served by Verizon.
2. FIOS offered in Exchange (this is not the place to find out about outages).
3. FIOS to be offered at an announced future date.
4. DSL offered for the foreseeable future (VZ may have undisclosed plans here)
5. Verizon offers phone service but only dial-up internet access.
This is not a huge database. Maybe about a million rows in a big table. It's eminently manageable. And it doesn't have to reveal anything VZ would rather keep to itself.
As things stand now, I have to sign in, go through a big rigmarole to reach the button to ask about FIOS, only to be told that I have to call my sales rep. You can do better than that, without spending much money.