BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- AT&T Inc. said on Monday it's high-speed backbone network -- designed to carry data traffic across the U.S. four times faster -- is now up and operating.

    AT&T has begun placing traffic on its so-called "ultra-long haul" network, which has a capacity of 40 gigabits per second, whereby consumers will be able to download large files quicker and more easily stream online videos to their computers. Carriers have been upgrading the backbone network -- the infrastructure needed to move data across extremely long distances -- to meet the increasing demand in bandwidth-intensive programs and videos.

    "As the demand for Internet and IP-based applications continues to explode, IP traffic on the AT&T network has doubled throughout the past two years, and we fully expect this substantial growth to continue in the future," John Stankey, president of telecom operations at AT&T, said in a statement.

    The company, which is deploying Cisco Systems Inc. routing equipment, has upgraded 50,000 miles of its network and plans to connect 25 major metropolitan areas in the next several months. AT&T doesn't break out the cost of the network upgrade, but a spokesman said the expenses were covered under the company's overall capital-expenditure outlay.

    In addition to a faster connection for consumers, the upgrades will help ease the capacity requirements for the company's U-Verse Internet-based TV system.

    While the network is the first in the U.S., Verizon Communications Inc. said that this month it would begin building a 2,000-mile backbone network connecting major cities in Europe.

    Both companies plan to push the 40-gigabit standard in the United States and eventually upgrade to 100 Gbps.

    (Agencies)