By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff | April 5, 2005
Verizon Communications Inc. ratcheted up the broadband Internet arms race yesterday, doubling the speed of its $30-a-month service while confirming that 11 more Massachusetts communities are getting its new super-fast fiber-optic network.
Verizon's $30 digital subscriber line service will now offer downstream access at up to 3 megabits, up from 1.5 megabits currently and much closer to cable modems, for subscribers willing to sign a one-year contract, or bundle DSL with phone service.
Subscribers who have already been paying $40 for 3 megabit service will have their bills automatically lowered, starting with the next billing cycle. Because of technology limitations, however, only about half of customers whose phone lines can support Verizon DSL will be able to get the faster speed, spokeswoman Bobbi Henson said.
At the same time, Verizon raised to 39 the number of Bay State communities where it has confirmed it is building out its FiOS fiber-optic network, which can deliver Internet access at speeds up to
30 megabits per second. This year, FiOS will also offer cable television packages in direct competition with Comcast Corp. and satellite TV companies.