Verizon expands fast DSL to more areas

NEW YORK - Verizon Communications Inc. on Thursday expanded the availability of its fastest DSL service to 3.4 million lines in 20 states.

The service, with downloads of 7 megabits per second, was available on 400,000 lines when it launched in January. In other areas, Verizon's fastest DSL service is at 3 mbps.

The 7 mbps plan costs $42.99 per month with an annual contract.

Verizon has not been putting much investment behind DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line technology, focusing instead on drawing fiber-optic lines that can provide even faster Internet access, plus cable-TV service. In the first quarter, it added a net of just 4,000 DSL customers, compared with 262,000 FiOS Internet subscribers.

Several other phone companies, including AT&T, provide top DSL speeds of at least 10 mbps in some areas. Qwest Communications International Inc. introduced 20 mbps service in April.

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