RSSVerizon sweetens FiOS deal with speed bump
By Ed Oswald | Published June 19, 2008, 11:40 AM
Verizon will double its speeds across its entire fiber-based Internet footprint, with promised speeds topping out at 50 Mbps.
Customers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida already had a 20 Mbps symmetrical option as well as a 50 Mbps download / 20 Mbps upload option.
These plans will now be expanded to the remaining ten states that are currently FiOS-capable, including California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Such a speed bump is necessary for FiOS to retain its speed edge, considering cable operators such as Comcast are preparing new systems that theoretically would deliver 50 Mbps downloads. That company has also stated a 2010 goal to bring 100 Mbps service to a majority of its service area, which would be based on the DOCSIS 3.0 standard.
While there has been question as to whether Comcast is able to deliver on its speed promises, research by BetaNews of reports from users of Broadband Reports indicates that for the most part, speeds are already quite close to the 50 Mbps promised. While some were seeing speeds well slower, like any broadband connection, transmission line quality is playing a large part here.
Average speeds seemed to be around 40 Mbps. This would follow what has become typical of Comcast's data rates, which are typically about 80 percent of the advertised rate. (It should also be noted that the Minnesota test area only uses three data channels, when there is capability for a fourth under DOCSIS 3.0.)
Data rates for FiOS seemed to be closer to the advertised speeds -- generally more than 90 percent of what was promised.
Verizon admits that it needs to compete: "The appetite for bandwidth shows no signs of slowing down. Neither will we. We've already had successful trials of the 100-megabit home, which will be a reality faster than anybody thinks," its president and chief operating officer Denny Strigl said.
FiOS' five-megabit plan will be upgraded to 10, and its 15 Mbps plan to 20. The 15 Mbps symmetrical option will become 20/20, and the top end 30/15 plan will be replaced by the new 50/20 option.
The speed increases are slated to take effect starting next week. However, consumers won't be automatically upgraded; they will have to request it. This is due to the fact that many could see slight price increases. The company did not elaborate as to the potential extent of those increases, although the top plan would stay at $139.95 per month ($89.95 per month in New York and Virginia).
Altogether, some 10 million are currently subscribed to FiOS. Verizon hopes to double this number within the next two years.
Whats the point of all this speed, if your capped and can't use it? Primary targeted at Comcast who says they are trying to compete.
I hope Verizon doesn't adopt the same lame policy of fastest internet but capped speeds. it makes it pointless.
Yeah you can go 0 to 60 in 2 seconds, but can only maintain that speed for 10 seconds then we have to charge you more.
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|Regardless of what service/price Verizon offers, it’s still the same ol Verizon! A company who’s customer service remains THE WORST. A company with little or no integrity.
My local POTS voice line gets crossed/ knocked out almost every two years, and every time, it’s the same thing: “We’ll get there in two or three days”, and when they do, they’ll call my cell @ 7:00am, and insist someone be home and wait, and not show up until 5:00pm.
As to all of you knuckleheads who have no compassion for Verizon employees being downsized/ outsourced, shame on you! This has become an American epidemic, and every lost job, every outsourced job, every home foreclosure, further weakens our country and effects all of us. I can not believe your apathy.
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|Verizon SUCKS!!! I'd never use anything from Verizon. That POS company axed my job along with 1000+ more due to so-called budget cuts. Never do the CEO or other higher ups ever take paycuts. They crap on the workforce that made the company great. Then they outsource the other jobs to India. Verizon is a horrible company. Thanks Verizon!! My house will soon be in foreclosure due to your greed!!!
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|I seem to remember how Bell Atlantic would be the target of regular strikes by unionized workers who wanted to prove how powerful they were. I don't think things changed when the company became Verizon. So, if you're one of those people, you helped cause your own problem and deserve what you got.
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|"My house will soon be in foreclosure due to your greed!!!"
Or YOUR greed. Namely, by buying a house you couldn't afford to begin with, and not setting aside adequate contingency funds. Good luck.
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|FAIL!
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|``Got a quote yesterday for a 3Mbps FiOS line here... $1,165.00 / month
sound`s more like they gave you a quote for a T1 or T3 line LOL
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|I think Verizon could grab more customers if they'd expand their coverage area. I, for one, would grab up FIOS the instant that it was available to me. Yea, I know that Michigan is depressed economically - but Lansing isn't that small of a town...
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|How nice. Verizon shafted all of us not living in cities by refusing to even give us DSL, and now they are going to double FIOS speed. They've sold us out to Fairpoint who promises to get us antiquated DSL "someday," but only within 18,000 wire-feet of the central office, meaning most people in our little towns will be out of luck anyway.
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|Verizon actually shafted those of us living in cities like Boston by saying it's too expensive to run fiber within the city and just deployed FIOS to some of the 'burbs.
Now I'm just hoping that RCN will finally get to my area so I can drop Comcast.
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|Why is it Verizon's fault that YOU decided to live in the boonies? So who do you blame for "shafting" you when you have to drive a long way to get to a shopping mall... Macy's?
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|Got a quote yesterday for a 3Mbps FiOS line here... $1,165.00 / month.
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|There is no 3Mbps FiOS.
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|This has to be one of the funniest post I've seen. Verizon doesn't charge more $140 as stated in the article for FiOS. Verizon likely gave you a quote for a leased line.
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|We don't have Verizon FiOS. Its a local company offering FiOS connection to a data center which is capped at 3Mbps. The market is controlled by Qwest here and bandwidth hard to come by.
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|Will limits be added??
How long at 40Mbps will it take to reach 40G?
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|How much are you downloading?
Most regular usage wouldn't reach any of the caps that others are imposing. Its the torrent downloading and other stuff that really sucks up usage in both directions.
Gaming can add to that, but even then it would still take a fair amount.
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|BRING IT TO ORLANDO...
SUE Bellsouth/ATT if you have to.
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