Bandwidth on Demand is being launched today in the New York City metropolitan region, where Verizon has tested the service in a year-long technical trial. The service will be expanded to additional cities over the next several years.

Offered through Verizon Partner Solutions, the business unit that serves U.S.-based wholesale customers, the new Bandwidth on Demand service can reduce the time it takes to establish DS-3 high-capacity circuits as well as SONET and Ethernet circuits from weeks to hours and, in some cases, minutes. With Bandwidth on Demand, wholesale customers can quickly order and establish additional capacity to meet dynamic end-users' bandwidth needs.

In addition, Verizon has modified traditional ordering-and-billing processes to accommodate the flexibility of Bandwidth on Demand.

Once Verizon wholesale customers establish the initial circuit with the Bandwidth on Demand capability, they will be able to order and be billed for bandwidth that remains entirely on the Bandwidth on Demand network when they require it for as short a period as one day. Previously, customers had to purchase a dedicated, private-line facility over a longer period of time.

"One of our top priorities is finding ways to continually improve how we serve our customers," said Verizon Partner Solutions Vice President Quintin Lew. "This once again demonstrates that Verizon is able to create tailored and innovative solutions to our customers' evolving needs."

For additional information please see Verizon press release.

F-Secure Corporation, the pioneer and leader in offering Internet and mobile security as a service through broadband providers, and Embarq Corporation, a leading broadband service provider, today announced that EMBARQ is offering its US residential and small business customers F-Secure's Internet security service. a leading broadband service provider, today announced that EMBARQ is offering its US residential and small business customers F-Secure's Internet security service.

F-Secure's Internet security service is a co-branded solution that enables EMBARQ to proactively help protect its broadband customers from viruses, spyware, outside attacks and harmful content. The comprehensive offering includes F-Secure's award-winning anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam technology. In addition, EMBARQ's broadband customers receive F-Secure's BlackLight rootkit scanning, DeepGuard, a personal firewall and advanced parental controls.

"After initially using a security product from another vendor, EMBARQ decided to switch to F-Secure's Internet security solution in April," said Jeff Hohman, director-product marketing at EMBARQ. "Since then, our adoption rates have increased significantly, leading us to believe there is pent-up demand for a premium offering. F-Secure enables us to enhance our customers' online experience by offering them an award-winning, best-of-class security solution at no additional cost."

F-Secure's Internet security service has been shown to improve the customers' online experience, reduce the impact of malware and strengthen customer loyalty. In 2006, Consumer Reports ranked F-Secure No. 1 in anti-spyware and earned InfoWorld's Technology of the Year Award. With an average response time of two to four hours, F-Secure responds to new virus outbreaks up to four times faster than its major competitors, according to AV-Test.org.

For more information see EMBARQ press release

DIRECTV is expanding into the Internet space through a partnership with Current. DIRECTV plans to offer voice and high-speed Internet service over electric power lines in a partnership with the broadband-over-powerline (BPL) technology provider.

Under the terms of the agreement, DIRECTV will have access to CURRENT's BPL network, initially in the Dallas/Fort Worth BPL network that will cover approximately 1.8 million homes and businesses over the next several years. DIRECTV will market bundles that includes DIRECTV high-speed Internet and VoIP services to its residential customers. In addition, the agreement provides DIRECTV the ability to add other geographic markets as CURRENT builds out its network. CURRENT's BPL network enables both Broadband services and Smart Grid solutions designed to improve efficiency and reliability while reducing the environmental impact of electric service.

CURRENT's investors include Duke Energy Corporation, EarthLink, Inc., EnerTech Capital, Google Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., General Electric Company, Hearst Corporation, Liberty Associated Partners (an investment partnership between Liberty Media Corporation and the Berkman family) and TXU Corp, among others. Further information about CURRENT Group, LLC, a privately-held company based in Germantown, MD, is available at www.currentgroup.com.

You can read more about DIRECTV's partnership with Current in Telephony Online.

Verizon FiOS Internet, delivered over the nation's most advanced, all-digital fiber-optic network straight to customers' doors, has been rated No. 1 in a national ISP survey. Computerworld magazine reports that the results of its recent survey of more than 1,100 broadband users of the nation's top six broadband services show that Verizon FiOS Internet stands "head and shoulders above the rest."

"There's little doubt as to the best U.S. broadband ISP, according to our readers - Verizon FiOS wins by a wide margin," the magazine reports.

Verizon FiOS was the only broadband service that scored first in all eight of the survey's categories: overall satisfaction, connection reliability, download speed, upload speed, customer service, technical support, value and e-mail service. FiOS Internet service is now enjoyed by more than 1 million customers nationwide and is growing every day.

"The comments from this survey strongly speak for themselves," said John Wimsatt, senior vice president for Verizon Telecom marketing. "Computerworld readers know technology, and we're honored by their overwhelmingly positive assessment of FiOS Internet service. The results of this survey validate what we've known all along: Verizon customers appreciate the difference our all-fiber network brings by delivering faster speed, better reliability, more advanced services, and superior entertainment and online experiences."

In reporting the survey results, Computerworld noted that Verizon FiOS "really stood out" in connection reliability and speed, with readers rating it 4.8 (on a 5.0 point scale). "If there's any doubt that the future of broadband is fiber optics, just take a look at the favorability ratings for connection speeds and reliability of Verizon FiOS," the publication reported. "Connection reliability was rated excellent by a mind-boggling 86% of those who responded."

Computerworld added that, "FiOS users practically crowed about their download speeds, with 92% rating them excellent or good.

"So it's clearly the reliability and speed of the FiOS connections that made Verizon FiOS customers give it top ratings for overall satisfaction (84% excellent and good combined) and value (78% excellent and good combined)," the magazine said.

The publication also noted that "Verizon FiOS customers are exceedingly happy with the value they get," and that when it came to satisfaction with value "no one else came close" to Verizon's FiOS ratings.