Windstream to Upgrade Access to Gigabit Speeds

Add Windstream to the growing list of U.S. Internet service providers planning or already offering gigabit Internet access to their customers.

"Windstream is going to launch GPON, or 1 Gbps service, to homes that are already fiber-fed enabled," said Windstream CEO Tony Thomas.

Thomas said in the near term, it will launch one market with 1 Gbps this year with the potential to reach five markets.

"We are drawing a line in the sand that says we're going to launch a 1 Gbps market in 2015 and if the team overachieves, we'll launch in five," Thomas said. "I think after that we're going to launch in every one of our markets a 1 Gbps product because in almost every one of our markets where Windstream competes today we deployed fiber."