Verizon Demonstrates Near Gigabit-per-Second Throughput on Its Existing FiOS GPON Platform

Verizon has completed a field trial in which it delivered approximately 1 gigabit-per-second bandwidth to a customer on the currently deployed gigabit passive optical network in a live production FiOS network setting. This kind of capacity and versatility will enable Verizon to accommodate a wide array of new and emerging consumer and business services such as 3DTV, desktop virtualization and remote storage, as well as wireless backhaul for the next generation of wireless technologies.

Verizon's GPON platform supports a total throughput of 2.4 Gbps downstream and 1.2 Gbps upstream to customers connected to the PON.  This test successfully demonstrated the ability to serve customers on the FiOS network with Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) service.

The latest field trial was conducted in June in Taunton, using an existing GPON system developed by Motorola, a current supplier to Verizon of both BPON (broadband passive optical network) and GPON networking equipment.  The trial, conducted at an existing FiOS business customer location, was intended to demonstrate in a live network setting that currently deployed FiOS equipment can support higher bandwidth services and can deliver 1 Gbps without major change to the network.

"This kind of bandwidth capacity will provide Verizon the ability to continue to meet  FiOS customers' needs by offering more bandwidth to support services such as 3DTV,  ultra HDTV, multiplayer gaming and HD video conferencing," said Brian Whitton, executive director of Verizon's technology group.

The test involved bringing a new fiber connection from an existing operating GPON system at the company's Taunton call-switching office to a second optical network terminal (ONT) located at the business customer's facility.  The second ONT was provisioned for the new 1 Gbps service tier, and the speed was tested to a local speed test server over an optimized route, as well as across the public Internet to a regional speed test server located more than 400 miles away. 

The throughput speeds were measured at 925 Mbps (megabits per second) to a local server and more than 800 Mbps to the regional test speed servers.  The customer's existing FiOS service was left in place, and showed no degradation in the voice, data or video services during this trial.

"This trial demonstrated that the current architecture has sufficient headroom to allow for a progressive increase in capacity as needed by our residential and business customers on our current GPON platform, and validates our decision to support both residential and business services on the same platform," said Vincent O'Byrne, director of Verizon's technology organization, who managed the trial.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 92 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon last year generated consolidated revenues of more than $107 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

####