Verizon expands fast DSL to more areas

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.