New Edge lays off 18 percent of staff

New Edge Networks, a DSL (digital subscriber line) provider in small and rural markets, has laid off 55 workers, or 18 percent of its staff. The company also will reduce its service area, shutting down facilities for providing high-speed Net access in Florida and Georgia.New Edge will instead focus on offering VPNs (virtual private networks) to its customers. Most of the layoffs came from the company's Vancouver, Wash., headquarters. New Edge continues to offer DSL in 27 states.