Verizon Extends Groundbreaking 50/20 Mbps FiOS Internet Service to Entire FiOS Footprint

Verizon President and COO Denny Strigl Announces Groundbreaking 50/20 and 20/20 Mbps FiOS Internet Services Will Be Available to More Than 10 Million Homes and Small Businesses

LAS VEGAS - Beginning next week, Verizon will make available to more than 10 million homes and businesses the nation’s fastest consumer broadband connections, with download speeds up to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds up to 20 Mbps.

In remarks prepared for delivery today at the NXTcomm conference here, Verizon President and Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl announced that the company is expanding its industry-leading FiOS Internet connections of 50/20, 20/20, 20/5 and 10/2 Mbps across all of Verizon’s FiOS Internet service footprint in 16 states.

Only Verizon delivers ultra-high-speed broadband straight to customers’ homes over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. Although the network already reaches 10 million homes and business, it will reach more than 18 million by 2010.

“The Verizon network is delivering broadband speeds that are unmatched by any competitor,” Strigl said. “As our customers shoot and send their own photos and movies, work at home more often, and expand their home networks, they love the faster speeds FiOS delivers.”

Verizon had already offered the 50/20 Mbps and 20/20 Mbps services in its FiOS markets in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. The company is now expanding those offerings to new Verizon FiOS customers in parts of California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington, replacing existing offerings of 30/15 Mbps and 15/15 Mbps services, respectively.

The mid-tier connection speed in those markets for new customers is being increased from 15/2 Mbps to 20/5 Mbps, and the basic service tier is being increased from 5/2 Mbps to 10/2 Mbps. Existing FiOS Internet customers who are interested in the new speed options can call Verizon for information about the new plans.

Strigl said in his remarks, “The appetite for bandwidth shows no signs of slowing down. Neither will we. We’ve already had successful trials of the 100-megabit home, which will be a reality faster than anybody thinks.”