Verizon will soon bring to Derry and Londonderry an all-fiber network -- known as fiber to the premises, or FTTP -- that will deliver faster data speeds and crystal clear voice, and also has the capability to offer a full suite of video services, a competitive choice to existing cable television providers. The company will seek a franchise agreement before offering cable TV service in a selected community.

Today's announcement brings to six the number of communities in New Hampshire identified by the company for deployment of its all-fiber network. The others are Bedford, Epping, Salem and Portsmouth.

Verizon is building its FTTP network in half the states where it offers landline communications services. The states are California, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. To help build the network across the country, Verizon will hire between 3,000 and 5,000 new employees by the end of this year.

Verizon's digital subscriber line (DSL) service will remain the company's most widely available form of high-speed Internet access for the foreseeable future while the company ramps up FTTP deployment. The company offers DSL on a widespread basis throughout New Hampshire.

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