New Yorkers waiting for a fiber line will have to wait longer than they thought. In 2008, Verizon promised to build a "state-of-the-art fiber-optic network throughout the entire City by mid-year 2014," as part of a franchise agreement with the city. But as June 30th approaches, many New Yorkers seem to have been left high and dry, and the company has officially admitted that it will not make the deadline.

Mayor De Blasio has already called out Verizon for the shortfall

A new report in Crain's New York details why. Hurricane Sandy was a major setback, flooding infrastructure and ruining miles of copper wiring. Verizon has also blamed New York landlords for blocking necessary construction. Still, the company claimed to be on track as recently as April of 2013. Even now, Verizon says it will only be a few months late in meeting the deadline.

Part of the problem may also be in how Verizon is defining success. The agreement only requires fiber lines to "pass all households," a nebulous term that could leave tens of thousands of dollars worth of work when it comes time to connect an individual building to the network. Mayor De Blasio has already called out Verizon for the shortfall, saying, "there's very clear terms [in the Verizon franchise agreement] that have not been met," and indicating he might use the city's regulatory and franchise powers to force Verizon to make good on its word.