The popularity of Verizon’s groundbreaking, ultra-fast, all-fiber-optic FiOS Internet service continues to climb. Data just released for the second quarter of 2006 shows that FiOS Internet customers made up more than 25 percent of the 440,000 net new wireline broadband sales for Verizon.

On average, Verizon has won 12 percent of potential FiOS Internet customers within just nine months of entering a new market with its fiber-optic network. Verizon reported that 375,000 customers now use its FiOS Internet service to connect to the Internet or other data networks at speeds of up to 50 Mbps, 10 times faster than typical cable offers.

The second-quarter report notes that Verizon gained 111,000 FiOS Internet customers in the second quarter alone. The company’s new fiber-optic network now extends to 4.5 million homes and small businesses in 16 states as the company continues an unequalled construction project to expand the service. More than 3 million homes are now "open for sale" for FiOS Internet.

"FiOS sales are gaining momentum as hundreds of thousands of people discover the real difference that a fiber delivered directly into their homes and businesses provides," said John Wimsatt, senior vice president of Verizon’s Broadband Solutions Group. "The tremendous capacity and bandwidth our FiOS Internet customers enjoy makes applications like photo and video sharing, blogging, digital movie downloads, video chat and conferencing, and interactive multi-player games a part of everyday living."

With FiOS, Verizon offers an unprecedented range of download and upload speeds delivered over a new, leading-edge fiber-optic network directly into customer’s homes. FiOS download connection speeds range from up to 5 Mbps (megabits per second) to up to 50 Mbps. FiOS upload speeds range from 2 Mbps to 10 Mbps, representing the fastest upstream speeds available to consumers from any U.S. Internet service provider.

Fast Upload Speeds Gain Importance
As the Internet becomes increasingly interactive, broadband users expect more high performance, not only in downloading content, but in uploading it as well.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently reported that more than 43 million Americans have created a blog or Web page for themselves or for others, or have shared something online that they created themselves, such as artwork, photos and videos, or both. The study reported, "There is a significant statistical association between creating online content and having a home broadband connection."

Wimsatt said, "The proliferation of personal digital photography and videos, blogs and personal Web sites is a significant driver of broadband growth. The ability to quickly upload content, such as digital photos and videos and large personal text files, is now just as important to customers as fast downloads. Having a high download speed without a high upload speed is the equivalent to having a conversation where you can only listen and not talk. With our groundbreaking download and upload speeds, FiOS customers enjoy a rich, two-way broadband experience that’s unparalleled by any other service today."

FiOS ‘Triple Play’ Growth
Verizon’s new fiber-optic network not only delivers super-fast Internet service, but also offers customers in many markets a new, competitive choice of television service with FiOS TV, offering more than 180 all-digital channels, two dozen HDTV channels and up to 2,500 video-on-demand titles.

"As hundreds of thousands of new FiOS customers are now benefiting from our super-fast, reliable Internet service, many are also coming to us for video," said Wimsatt. "In the approximately 60 markets in seven states where we currently offer FiOS TV, a high percentage of our FiOS Internet customers are signing up for our TV service.

In the second quarter 2006, Verizon also gained 329,000 DSL high-speed Internet customers and now has a total of 6.1 million wireline broadband customers. The company’s addition of 1.6 million new home and small-business broadband customers over the past three quarters is an industry-leading achievement.