Verizon announced it is building a fiber-optic network that will deliver faster data speeds, crystal-clear voice -- and also has the capability to offer a full suite of video services in the future – to residence and business customers in: Annadale, Bay Terrace, Bloomfield, Bulls Head, Charleston, Chelsea, Dongan Hills, Eltingville, Grant City, Graniteville, Great Kills, Heartland Village, High Rock, Huguenot, Latourette, Lighthouse Hill, Midland Beach, New Dorp, New Dorp Beach, New Springville, Oakwood, Oakwood Beach, Pleasant Plains, Princes Bay, Richmondtown, Richmond Valley, Rossville, Todt Hill, Tottenville, Westerleigh, Willowbrook and Woodrow. The company will seek a franchise agreement from the local authority before offering video service in a selected community.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime transformation of the communications network serving these communities," said Thomas A. Dunne, vice president of public affairs, policy and communications for Verizon New York.

Known as fiber-to-the-premises, or FTTP, the fiber-optic network uses hair-thin strands of fiber and optical electronics to directly link homes and businesses to Verizon’s network. The new network will unleash a range of advanced communications services.

"We are building the communications network of the future to provide customers unmatched network reliability, incredible speed and exciting new options for voice, data and video connections," said Dunne. "Our FTTP project will help stimulate economic development and enhance these communities as great places to live and do business."

Although the use of fiber optics is common for long-distance and inter-city communications throughout the telecommunications industry, Verizon is one of the first major telecom companies to begin using it to directly connect homes and businesses to the network on a widespread scale.

Verizon currently is constructing FTTP networks in more than half the states where it offers landline communications service, including the state of New York.

To help build the network across the country, Verizon has hired between 3,000 and 5,000 new employees this year, including hundreds in New York. The cost to Verizon of building the network on Staten Island was not disclosed.

"Verizon’s fully fiber-optic network is technically superior to other communication platforms because it offers faster data speeds than currently available, as well as voice and video capability," said Joseph Bucciarelli, Verizon market area president for Staten Island.

Customer reaction to Verizon’s new fiber-based Internet access service, called FiOS (FYE’-ose), has been very positive, with broadband subscribers more than doubling in the company's inaugural FiOS market of Keller, Texas, just outside Dallas/Fort Worth. FiOS Internet Access services are already available in the New Dorp section of Staten Island. Verizon will notify additional Staten Island customers when FiOS is available locally. Customers who want to determine whether they can order FiOS also can call 888-GET FIOS (888-438-3467) or visit Verizon’s FiOS Web site at www.verizon.net/Fios.

There are three tiers of Verizon FiOS Internet Service for consumers, with approximate downstream (download) speeds of up to 5, 15 and 30 Mbps (megabits per second).