Verizon collaborates with developer on new "Fiber-to-the-home" initiative

Future residents of Brambleton, VA, will live in one of the country's most-wired communities--courtesy of Verizon Communications. The planned community, located about seven miles southeast of Leesburg, will have a state-of-the-art fiber-optic network linking homes in the first phase of the development, claim Verizon representatives. This will give Brambleton residents access to the latest in voice, video, and data services the day they move in.

Verizon's fiber-optic connections will satisfy even the most bandwidth-thirsty Brambleton customers, says the company. Customers will be offered a full complement of local and optional services, such as Caller ID and home voice mail, and all homes will have high-speed Internet connections. In addition, the ability of fiber-optic cable to carry huge amounts of information will allow the community to have its own internal network capable of such digital amenities as electronic community bulletin boards and chat rooms.

Services will be delivered through a Passive Optical Network (PON) between homes and businesses. Verizon has selected Marconi plc (Pittsburgh) to provide equipment that will be placed in Brambleton homes to convert optical voice, data, and video signals to standard electronic signals.

The Brambleton project will help Verizon determine current and future needs of customers and how to meet these requirements in a cost-effective manner using fiber-optic systems.

"Brambleton is a great opportunity for Verizon to test our fiber-to-the-home technology with a group of customers who will take advantage of the extraordinary benefits of fiber," explains Barry Paulson, senior vice president, engineering and planning for Verizon. "And we will be offering a new level of service because all Brambleton customers will have high-speed data service capability the moment they move into their homes--without having to order the service or wait for delivery."

Plans for Brambleton call for a mix of single-family homes, town houses, and multi-family dwellings to be built in the community over the next eight to 10 years. Construction of new homes is expected to begin in early spring.

For more information about Verizon Communications, visit the company's Web site at www.verizon.com.