Verizon customers in Beach Park now can experience high-speed Internet access as the company begins to offer its Verizon FiOS (FYE'-ose) Internet Service to homes here.

Verizon is rolling out the industry's premier consumer broadband services to most of its customers in these areas. Meanwhile, it is readying at least eight other geographic areas in its west central Florida service territory for FiOS availability. The company is offering three tiers of service with downstream (download) speeds of up to approximately 5, 15 and 30 Mbps (megabits per second).

Verizon is delivering FiOS services over its new fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, which the company is already constructing in half the states in which it offers landline communications services. The company will announce FiOS Internet Service in other areas as it becomes available.

FTTP technology utilizes fiber-optic connections - instead of copper wire - directly into homes and businesses to enable a broad array of voice, data and video applications. In addition to its current FiOS services, Verizon plans to launch FiOS TV in 2005 to compete directly with cable TV providers. FiOS TV will be available in markets where Verizon has negotiated cable franchise agreements with local authorities.

Each FiOS service is available either as part of a bundle of local and long-distance calling services from Verizon or as a stand-alone Internet access service.

In addition to Beach Park, FiOS availability was previously announced for customers in Brandon, Alafia, Carrollwood, Land O Lakes, the University area, Wesley Chapel, Keystone, New Tampa and parts of south Tampa.

FiOS services now are available to many Verizon-Beach Park customers in the 813 area code whose phone numbers have the following prefixes: 207, 281, 282, 286, 287, 288, 289, 636, 637 and 639. Customers who want to determine whether they can order FiOS Internet Service can call 888-GET FIOS (888-438-3467) or visit Verizon's FiOS Web site at www.verizon.net/fios.

For more information about Verizon FiOS, see our Verizon FiOS category or our article, "Have you caught the FiOS fever?"