Verizon announces deployment of fiber optics to homes and businesses in 6 more states

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, Oct 29, 2004

Verizon announced additional information on its plan to roll out advanced fiber-based broadband technology to customers in six more states.

The company announced new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployment to homes and businesses in Virginia as well as in parts of Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania--bringing to nine the total number of states where work is under way. The company had previously announced FTTP deployment in California, Florida, and Texas as part its plan to pass some 1 million homes and businesses with the new technology this year. Verizon plans to pass some 2 million additional homes and businesses with the new technology next year.

"Verizon fiber all the way to the homes and businesses of our customers means they will have the highest-speed computer connections available from anyone," said Paul Lacouture, president of Verizon's Network Services Group. "No other company is offering this cutting-edge data service, and the reliability of fiber also means unprecedented dependability as well."

Verizon's FiOS broadband Internet access services offer download speeds of up to 5Mbps, 15Mbps, and 30Mbps, with upstream speeds of up to 2Mbps for the first two products and 5Mbps for the third. The 5Mbps service sells for $34.95 per month, when purchased with a package of Verizon services, and $39.95 when purchased separately.

Verizon expects to make an $800 million capital investment in FTTP this year.

"Verizon is building a broadband future for America. And today we're one big step closer," Lacouture said. "The future will ride on the bandwidth of fiber optics. No one is making that future more real than Verizon."

To learn more about Verizon's FiOS deployment, visit http://newscenter.verizon.com/kit/fiber.> As an indication of the growth of FTTH, this week has brought several important announcements by Verizon and SBC.

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