INTERNET NEWS: Verizon to offer 100Mbit/s internet speeds

Verizon Communications has yet to finish building its multibillion-dollar fiber network, but it's already taking steps to upgrade it to the next generation of technology, which will quadruple the amount of bandwidth capacity available to each home.

The GPON standard Verizon seeks to implement can split 2.4Gbps downstream and a 1.2Gbps upstream between the same 32 subscribers, securing 75Mbps and 37.5Mbps for each one. Verizon says the standard should allow it to eventually offer home connections with 100Mbps download speeds-two to three times faster than its current services that top out at 30Mbps and 50Mbps in some areas. The company expects to offer fiber-optic coverage to six million users by the end of 2006.