Denver
-Overbuilder
WINfirst
said it will put up about $1 billion to build a fiber-to-the-home residential network using
Lucent Technologies
hardware and software and
Avaya
data-switching equipment. Lucent will get the lion's share, with a five-year, $800 million order from WINfirst, while Avaya receives the remaining $200 million.
WINfirst's video, voice and data network will link each home with a dedicated, fiber-optic cable and equipment with lasers designed to send and receive information using Internet protocol and "Fast Ethernet." That networking-transmission standard provides 100 megabits per second of symmetric bandwidth-enough to download a DVD movie in eight minutes or an entire album of MP3 songs in about five seconds.
WINfirst said it has won network building approvals in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas; and San Diego and Sacramento, Calif. Franchise applications remain pending in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Las Vegas and Seattle.
