Verizon (NYSE: VZ) unveiled the next generation of its fiber optic service for home consumers this week, promising a medium that can deliver multimedia, voice, and data to home customers.

At this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the communications company announced that it has upgraded the content and programming available on its FiOS fiber-optic service currently being installed around the country.

The next generation of FiOS breaks new ground and moves way beyond traditional television to make managing multimedia simple for customers, said Bob Ingalls, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Telecom We've dramatically distinguished the new FiOS digital media experience from old-fashioned TV.

The new FiOS pulls together content from a variety of sources - broadcast TV, the Internet and users' own private music and photo collections - into one media-management system. The core of the system is a new media guide, Verizon said, which allows customers find, and manage digital content from a number of sources.

As we designed the new FiOS, a key principle was to help customers reach all content with just two clicks of their remote control, said Ingalls.

Verizon is currently spending billions of dollars to connect homes around the United States.

FiOS TV customers in New Jersey will be the first to receive the new FiOS TV applications. By mid-year, all FiOS TV customers in the 10 states where the service is offered today will be able to access the advanced service.

Shares of Verizon rose 15 cents, or 41 percent, to close at $36.96 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Broadband Electronics