New customers of Verizon’s industry-leading FiOS broadband and video services, provided over the company’s fiber-to-the-premises network, will now receive the most advanced in-home broadband networking router available today.

The new router – designed and built to Verizon’s specifications and supplied by Actiontec Electronics of Sunnyvale, Calif. – is the basis of Verizon’s digital home architecture, and is capable of providing connectivity to the FiOS network at speeds of up to100 megabits per second (Mbps). It leverages existing in-home wiring for broadband data and video signals and delivers easy, high-quality, more reliable home-networking solutions to provide connectivity to the increasing number of connected consumer devices. The new broadband home router also supports remote management that uses new industry standards known as TR-069, enabling Verizon to perform troubleshooting without having to dispatch a technician.

Customers who purchase Verizon’s FiOS Internet Service products, as well as those who order FiOS TV, will automatically receive the new router as part of the installation.

"Adding this new router to our FiOS Internet services gives our customers one more significant reason to choose our advanced and fast fiber-based broadband services," said John Wimsatt, Verizon’s senior vice president for broadband solutions marketing.

Verizon Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Mark Wegleitner added, "The Broadband Home Router will be the centerpiece of our customer’s home network. It delivers the clear advantages of fiber-optic technology directly to our customer’s home devices, offering a superior customer experience for our voice, data and video services."

Dean Chang, Actiontec’s president and CEO, said, "We strongly share Verizon’s vision of fiber as an enabler of advanced data and media services to the home. The combination of fiber to the home along with advanced routing capabilities within the home stands to offer consumers seamless broadband and entertainment to all parts of their home. We are delighted to make this vision a reality through our work with Verizon."

Known as Actiontec’s model MI-424-WR, the new broadband home router was built to Verizon’ specifications and allows Verizon to accomplish its goal of providing, high-quality managed broadband services over a unified home network to all connected devices. This any-to-any device capability allows transmission of FiOS data and video signals between the Internet and consumer devices in any room, enabling a true digital home experience.

The optical network terminal (ONT) where Verizon’s fiber terminates at the customer’s home will soon be upgraded with technology similar to the Broadband Home Router. This will minimize installation disruption for Verizon customers because existing in-home coaxial wiring can be used instead of the Ethernet cable that the company has been installing between the ONT and the router. This results in savings for Verizon through shorter installation times, increased productivity and reduced installation expenses.

In addition, the new router’s wireless capability allows the customer to connect with other wireless card-equipped computers within the home. The Actiontec router’s 100 Mbps capability allows Verizon to continue to provide higher data speeds to the customer, as they become available in the future, without having to install a new router or other equipment in the customer’s home. Verizon’s FTTP network is capable of providing such speeds. In addition, the new router allows Verizon to remotely assist customers in configuring it to meet specific needs within the home. Verizon also provides customers a business-class Internet firewall on the router.

"The ability to remotely diagnose problems and help the customer configure the router was a key goal for us," Wimsatt said. "In-home networking can be complex, but we have the right people -- and now the right equipment -- to help the customer."

Verizon is the only major telecom company building fiber-optics directly into customers’ homes, paving the way for an array of advanced and reliable voice, data and video services. The company is currently building the network in parts of 16 states. By the end of last year, Verizon had passed some 3 million homes with the new technology and expects to pass 3 million more this year. The company began building the network in 2004.

Since then, Verizon has been selling industry-leading and popular data and video products over the new network.