FiOS 150 Mbps Service Will Use Next-Gen Broadband Router

SUNNYVALE, CA – Verizon's newly launched 150 Mbps downstream, 35 Mbps upstream FiOS service will use a new wireless broadband router from Actiontec Electronics. According to Actiontec, the router breaks previous industry performance benchmarks, increasing in-home networking speeds up to 1000 Mbps wired (with the Gigabit Ethernet interface) and 300 Mbps wireless.

Already a key vendor in the FiOS architecture, Actiontec has been providing Verizon with broadband customer premise equipment since the early days of FiOS deployments in early 2006. The two companies have closely collaborated to meet the needs of an increasingly sophisticated consumer market. Actiontec has continually upgraded its broadband home routers to handle faster speeds, multiple HDTV streams, widgets and Java-based applications.

The new FiOS router can handle multiple high-throughput media streams simultaneously, including standard and HDTV-based video programming, and feed personal video recording functionality from multiple HD set-top boxes or other digital storage devices to multiple TVs in the house. It also administers most Internet activities, including online gaming, music, live sports, children's entertainment and on-demand TV and movies.

"The role of the home gateway is evolving from a simple router to become the focal point for home entertainment and emerging broadband services," says Dean Chang, CEO of Actiontec.

The new router features robust enterprise-level security features that include WPA/WPA2 encryption, a fully customizable firewall with Stateful Packet Inspection, denial-of-service protection and intrusion detection.
It also includes simple diagnostic tools and self-healing features. The router self-monitors and reports any errors to the end user, with a short description of the problem and clear instructions for repair or contact information for technical support in more complex cases.