CenturyLink Throws its Hat into the 1-Gig Fiber Ring

CenturyLink (NYSE:CTL) has announced plans to connect 48,000 Omaha homes and businesses with a new high-speed fiber network pilot, designed to deliver symmetrical Internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps.The telco is upgrading its existing fiber architecture in west Omaha to deliver fiber-optic connections directly to homes and businesses. The fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network will have a direct connection to the company's recently upgraded 100 Gbps global network.CenturyLink plans to begin rolling out the 1 Gbps service next week and expects to have its new fiber network available to all 48,000 customers by early October. The company will evaluate its Omaha 1 Gbps offer before determining further deployment of the technology, considering such factors as community support, competitive parity and return on investment.