Verizon plans to spend $200 million this year in Massachusetts, expanding its FiOS TV service to an additional 30 communities and offering its high-speed Internet service, which is based on DSL technology, to 23 additional communities in the western part of the state.

The telco will also being offering an additional high-speed Internet service tier, with maximum download connection speeds of 7 Mbps, in 24 additional communities in the central and western parts of the state.

The new deployment of Verizon's broadband services will reach two-thirds of the western Massachusetts communities identified by the state as having no high-speed broadband services, Verizon said.

"With this capital investment plan we are making a major commitment to our customers and our employees in Massachusetts," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon’s region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "We believe the time and the climate are right for growing our investments and expanding our technology deployment."

And consumers and businesses in Nettie and Fenwick, W.Va., now have access to Verizon’s high-speed Internet offering.

The service, with a connection speed of up to 768 Kbps and a one-year commitment, costs $12.99 per month for the first six months, with the first month free, and $17.99 per month for the remaining six months. Verizon's 3 Mbps service is available for $29.99 per month, with the first month free, for a one-year commitment.

Additionally, Verizon Wireless customers in San Luis Obispo, Calif., can now watch broadcast-quality television on select TV-enabled handsets, thanks to the telco’s expanded V CAST Mobile TV service in the area.

The company introduced the service on California's central coast last August. V CAST Mobile TV is powered on the Flo TV service from MediaFlo USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. 

More Broadband Direct:

• New subs drive Cablevision’s Q4 profits 

• Sprint reports continued loss of subs, revenue in Q4 

• Cable broadband aggregation equipment sales increase in Q4 

• Verizon announces $200M network expansion in Mass. 

• Liberty Media completes deal for control of DirecTV 

• Nortel cutting 2,100 jobs 

• Broadband Briefs for 2/28/08