Verizon spends $711M on Va telecom upgrades in ‘13

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Verizon says it spent more than $711 million on telecommunications and information technology improvements in Virginia in 2013.

The state’s largest telecommunications provider says its investments benefit residential and business customers across Virginia.

Included in those improvements are upgrades and expansion of its FiOS television and Internet services.

Over the past five years, the company says it has invested more than $3.7 billion in Virginia’s telecommunication infrastructure.

Verizon says it has placed nearly 20,000 miles in its all-fiber network, which is enough for four roundtrip trips from Richmond to Los Angeles.