telecom services

For the first time in years, consumers may be getting real competition in telecom services. Verizon Wireless announced Wednesday that it will speed up its super-fast fiber-optic service in 10 new states.

The expanded network will be available to 10 million consumers beginning next week and will reach 18 million people by 2010, Verizon said. FiOS will be available in various configurations ranging from 50 megabits per second downstream and 20 Mbps upstream to 10 Mbps downstream and two Mbps upstream.

The Federal Communications Commission has introduced an interim cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) organizations under the Universal Service Fund (USF) established by Congress in 1996. The fund currently provides subsidizes for the development and operation of telecom services for rural Americans, schools, libraries and hospitals.

The European Commission has introduced technical and licensing regulations to let airline passengers use their mobile handsets and smartphones during flights. "Pan-European telecom services, such as in-flight mobile telephony, needed a regulatory 'one-stop shop' to operate throughout Europe, and this is why the commission has acted," said European Union Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding.

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