Well not exactly Kryptonite cooled, but definitely faster than a speeding bullet is MediaOne's new high-speed data network. It runs over fiber-optic lines for Hollywood studios and other commercial customers in the Los Angeles area.

The new service, built on a US$250 million fiber optic network in the area, will be formally announced later this morning. It is part of a $2.8 billion network MediaOne is building around the United States.

The new service, available immediately, will allow businesses like film studios or financial services companies to move massive amounts of data over the network. Currently, they use much slower traditional phone lines or transport the material by delivery services, Tolleson said.

The new service can move 622 Mb of data per second, more than 10 times faster than is available now on regular copper telephone lines, he added.

Cost to customers will range from $1,200 a month for a basic service to more than $100,000 for a high-end service that large companies would use.

http://www.mediaone.com

(c) Reuters