Verizon plans quad play for this year

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications plans to offer video, high-speed Internet, television and cell phone services in one service package in some markets this year to help it better compete against cable rivals, Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl said on Wednesday.

"The quadruple play is something we're planning to offer later this year. You'll see that roll out where we do have a contiguous wireline and wireless footprint," Strigl told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York.

Verizon already sells cell phone service across the United States via its Verizon Wireless venture with Vodafone Group Plc. It is also developing television and high-speed Internet services over a fiber network it is building and plans to have pass as many as 9 million homes with by year end.'

Verizon also offers its customers television services from satellite television provider DirecTV Group Inc in markets where it does not yet sell video services.

Cable rivals such as Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc, which already offer telephone and Internet services, have formed a venture with No. 3 U.S. wireless service Sprint Nextel Corp with an aim to including wireless in four-service packages.

But having all the services under one roof gives Verizon a head start, Strigl said.

"There are only two players in the market today that are able to quickly bring to market a quadruple play," Strigl said referring the Verizon and AT&T Inc.

"A partnership is something that is harder to bring to market than the offering that we will have," Strigl said in reference to the cable and wireless joint venture.

Glenn Britt, chief executive of Time Warner Cable, said earlier in the day that he hopes to have an idea in about 12 months if the venture with Sprint will be successful.

"I think we'll know in a year a lot more than we do now," Britt told the summit.

(For summit blog: summitnotebook.reuters.com/)