Verizon plans to roll out its FiOS-TV service quickly in Pittsburgh, after Mayor Luke Ravenstahl signs legislation that was approved finally by City Council yesterday.

"You will see us shortly," said Gale Givens, president of Verizon Pennsylvania, as she stood outside of council chamber after a unanimous vote allowing her firm to compete with Comcast. "We fully intend to be out in force in the very, very near future.

"When we come into a city, we come in with lots of initiatives and approaches," she said, declining to detail them.

Council joined Mr. Ravenstahl's administration in breaking what had been a monopoly on cable within the city.

"Whatever Comcast gave us, that's what we had to accept," said Councilwoman Tonya Payne. "I can almost guarantee you that we'll probably get better service, and you won't be stuck with such high bills."

A proposed amendment to protect Pittsburgh Community TV's funding failed.

Instead, the use of funds paid by each Verizon subscriber to support public, educational and governmental programming will be determined by an eventual strategic plan to be crafted by the 11-member Pittsburgh Cable Communications Advisory Committee. Meanwhile, PCTV will continue to get funding from every Comcast customer in the city.

Funding is "not going away from PCTV," said Councilman Patrick Dowd. "It's going into a trust fund. And the money will be released from the trust fund at such time when there is a strategic plan for the use of that money."

The administration resolved concerns of the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, which argued that Verizon's subcontractors would not be closely monitored for labor law compliance. The administration introduced a council resolution to have the Foundation for Fair Contracting -- backed by unions and some contractors -- help the city investigate any tax dodging or hiring of undocumented workers. There will be no cost to the city for the nonprofit FFC's help, and its work will not be specific to Verizon's contractors.

The resolution on the FFC could come up for a tentative vote next week.

Verizon now has six years to build out its system and make FiOS-TV available to all city residents.