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Verizon Offers FiOS Customers 20Mbit Uploads

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

October 23, 2007, 6:39 PM

Further upping the ante in its effort to steal customers from cable providers, Verizon unveiled a new high-speed symmetrical plan for its FiOS Internet service. Subscribers will have both 20Mbit/sec download and 20Mbit/sec upload speeds - something that is unheard of in the industry.

Although 20Mbit/sec uploads may primarily whet the appetites of file swappers, Verizon notes there are some useful purposes for such speeds including video conferencing and uploading family movies. The 20/20 service is first launching in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, but Verizon says it will come to the company's 13 other markets eventually. The cost will be $64.99 per month for those with a Verizon phone contract, and $69.99 for those without.

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By xyzcb1

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 8:50 PM

First launch in New York? Does this mean include NYC?

Score: 0

By rsx508

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 7:00 PM

a) What strings will be attached to this new wonder.
b) What impact will it have on existing service rates.

Cox still beats them for cost per connection here in Virginia. Too bad. VZN spent months destroying our backyards to route the lines. Then hung flyers on our doors to tell us the up/dn rates were lower than Cox, but the cost is higher. If they can reduce more I'd be glad to consider switching. But if 20/20 means stupid restrictions on content/features, it may not convince me either. We need some *real* competition here badly.

Score: 0

By Niro

posted Oct 25, 2007 - 2:23 PM

Have you ever actually gotten over 20Mb over Cox?? Unless you're living in a farm with no other people around you, I'm willing to bet not.

I hit the peak 20Mb every time with FIOS at any time of day...but that's what can be expected from a line that isn't shared with the entire neighborhood I guess. :)

Score: 0

By FubarJeb

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 6:12 PM

Sweet baby Jesus, I can't wait till it comes down here to FL.

Score: 0

By rsx508

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 6:56 PM

You dang right Ricky Bobby.

Score: 0

By horsecharles

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 4:27 PM

Yippy ka yeh, MF's!!!!!!!! I'm packing my bags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously-- i will move just for that reason alone... as long as there are no bandwidth caps of course.

Verizon stock is a B-B-B-B-BUY.

Score: 0

By hklm

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 6:25 AM

People in the Sacramento, CA area have 50Mbps Up and down speeds for residential customers though Surewest.com. Go to surewest.com and you will see for yourself on the front homepage, they really do offer 50Mbps speeds.

Score: 0

By dan-0

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 8:44 AM

I used to work for roseville telephone...now surewest. they bought a fiber co, and that was the only area they sold 10MB service. don't be fooled. they aren't a great company to be a customer of and just because the offer the 50mb service, doesn't mean its reasonable. on their site, 6 mb is $83 a month...not quite the 20/20 for $70.

Score: 0

By mdotwills

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 6:22 AM

1) lower the price a bit
2) bundle UNLIMITED bandwidth (no speed limiting)
3) watch half the nation switch to your network.

My vote.

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 1:59 AM

I'd be on this like a fly on poo...

Score: 0

By ladylust

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 9:07 PM

I get more then 20 download now with Optimum Online w/ boost (which is $49.00). Im not sure if I need 20 upload unless i plan on being #1 on the average torrent site.

Score: 0

By ShadowMajere

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 9:58 AM

yeah, You get 20+ with optimum boost. Boost is supposed to give you 35-50 MB down. According to the original Contract set forth by cablevision in the optimum online branch. With Verizon, their basic package you get a 20/5 continous, and Optimum Boosts Upload rate is horrific.

Score: 0

By horsecharles

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 4:27 PM

Double yeah,

Cablevision untruhful hype's got yet one more bamboozled....

1. Boost only works like for the first MB(not sure of exact number), then throttles back to mediocre speed.
2. Cablevision infrastructure sucks:
their nodes are over-subscribed PLUS they're not upgrading equipment / building extra nodes.
One MIGHT be lucky and be in a relatively sparse area-- thus getting good service, BUT many in dense areas report lousy service... often to the point of rendering the service useless for a mission-critical, always-on system..AND this will ONLY get worse, as Cablevision's trying to increase share based on lower pricing, W/O the necessary equipment upgrades.
THAT has GOT to put enormous pressure infrastructure budgeting, and can ONLY be worsened by plans to buy back stock / take the company private, family infighting, etc.

Excellent SHORTING(stock) candidate if there ever was one....

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 9:53 PM

Two words: online backup.

I was recently sent an e-mail offering a trial of an online backup service that took a complete image of your HDD so it could be restored in case of complete HDD failure.

I looked at the used capacity of my drive, accounted for compression and realised it would take 261 days for me to upload my backup. Once. Even then, my ISP would have already disconnected me for uploading too much. :p

Score: 0

By Stormprobe

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 11:51 PM

One word: VPN.

Score: 0

By Niro

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 9:32 AM

Wouldn't that actually br three words, or one acronym?:)

Score: 0

By mjm01010101

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 8:46 PM

Probably mean unheard of in the consumer space in the U.S.

Businesses have had Gigabit capability on FiOS for 7+ years, as well as other countries have had well over 20+ Mbps upload capability for a while.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 12:53 PM

And many are still behind the US.

Yer point?

Score: 0

By jrizznit

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 2:38 PM

'Tis better to lead than to follow. That's the point.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 4:41 PM

Seeing as how you're not the original poster...I really don't know how you'd know that.

The choice is often simple:

Spend a fortune and take the large risks involved with being at the forefront of emerging tech.

or

Let others take the risk and find all the "gotchas", then offer the now stable service at a deep discount (because the leaders are still pushing the R&D costs on to their customers) with additional "fluff" features.

So your "point" is debatable.

Score: 0

By jrizznit

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 8:21 PM

"Spend a fortune and take the large risks involved with being at the forefront of emerging tech."

Excellent. You just described the United States' ethos in the 20th century. How did that go for us? Did we do well for ourselves and the rest of the world? Do we still have it?

I suppose we should have let others "take the risk and find all the gotchas" involved with nuclear fission, just as we are doing now with fusion power. Is that example too extreme? How about something closer to this particular subject - the microchip perhaps? Fiber optics? The freaking internet? The U.S. led the way with all these, and it was the right, most profitable course of action. Why should we not lead the way in providing citizens the fastest internet possible?

You say "many are still behind the U.S." Great. What's your point? There's no reason to complain about our technological inferiority as long as we're superior to Brazil and Botswana? Where is your American spirit? Aren't we pioneers? Why shouldn't we have the latest and greatest?

Perhaps it is only the greatest who have the latest.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 10:57 PM

lmao...

You just described the United States' ethos in the 20th century. How did that go for us? Did we do well for ourselves and the rest of the world? Do we still have it?

Quick question:

The majority of medical and medicinal advancements in this century came from which country?

Why isn't our bandwidth equal to that of, say Japan?

Where is your American spirit? Aren't we pioneers?

My American Spirit is just fine and dandy. Better than most, I'd wager. Patriotism isn't the automatic belief that "We're the Best."

Pioneers? Sure, though lately it's been diluted by politicking and other more pressing matters.

Why shouldn't we have the latest and greatest?

Are you serious? Doesn't that sound at all whiny to you, like something a spoiled 6 yr-old might ask? Because we've thrown our communications infrastructure to the Government to save us from the Evil™ corporations. Because we have allowed the telcos to take our grants, with a promises made, and then renege on the...keeping the money. Because, little one, we've done nothing to deserve it. ;)

Perhaps it is only the greatest who have the latest.

Perhaps it is, perhaps it is...

Score: 0

By jrizznit

posted Oct 25, 2007 - 2:07 PM

"My American Spirit is just fine and dandy. Better than most, I'd wager. Patriotism isn't the automatic belief that 'We're the Best.'"

You're confusing yourself. I didn't say anything about patriotism. Yes, a jingoist moron might say I'm being unpatriotic by calling into question our country's commitment to excellence. But then, he's a jingoist moron who doesn't understand that this has nothing to do with patriotism.

When I say American spirit, I'm referring to the belief that we should constantly strive to be the best, not because this is all some pissing contest, but because it's the best course of action. Maybe we should just call it the "pioneering spirit" if that helps. It's certainly not unique to Americans.

I think you'll agree, looking through history, there's no matter more pressing than the development of new technology. That's all I'm saying.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 26, 2007 - 9:47 AM

American spirit != patriotism?

Cute.

Score: 0

By jrizznit

posted Oct 28, 2007 - 11:40 PM

Odd comment since you are the one who equated the two.

Score: 0

By PhoenixPath

posted Oct 29, 2007 - 10:13 AM

You totally missed that.

He was saying your statement that they are not one and the same was "cute".

...least, that's what I got from it.

Score: 0

By jrizznit

posted Oct 29, 2007 - 2:34 PM

Ah okay.

Score: 0

By Tenoq

edited Oct 23, 2007 - 8:45 PM

You guys suck. +10 to jealousy on my part.

Still stuck on 10Mb down, 256kb up here in Aus... and that's the fastest connection I can get (HFC). Some lucky ones can get ADSL2+... with a whopping 1Mb/s upload. :p

You guys think YOU have broadband problems!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 12:52 PM

Wow.

Kinda makes you wonder where those "US falls behind every other country in the world regarding broadband" folks are getting their info....

Score: 0

By zridling

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 5:55 PM

You ain't been to Australia lately, have you, foolie? The US blows chunks in every way, and oh — how's that USDollar index doing lately (TANKING!!)?

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Oct 24, 2007 - 10:59 PM

The US blows chunks in every way

Tell that to the 12 million illegal immigrants.

Right. I'll take my global rankings and assessments from other, more knowledgeable folk, thank you.

Score: 0

By mdotwills

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 6:23 AM

Tenoq, you think YOU have broadband problems!

Here in Melbourne my "Broadband" tops out at 52kbps down and even less up :( Optus really sucks.

Score: 0

By pitdingo

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 8:19 PM

Wow. 20/20 is crazy, at least in the USA! I guess the question is, what are the terms?

What ports are blocked?
Or throttled?
Or, ahem..."shaped"?
Can you run a web server?
Are there bandwidth caps?

Score: 0

By mark_1023

edited Oct 23, 2007 - 9:24 PM

In the article on dslreports.com, Susan Retta, Vice President of broadband solutions for Verizon, says they don't cap subscribers. Looks like Verizon knows how to please a customer.

http://www.dslreports.co...rical-20Mbps-FiOS-88723

Score: 0

By kprovance

posted Oct 24, 2007 - 1:37 AM

Yeah they do. Usually without the courtesy of a reach around.

Score: 0

By kashin

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 9:51 PM

http://www.betanews.com/...DO_Customers/1193179475

You were saying? I bet this new 2Mbit upload speed is another one of those "unlimited" as long as you don't use it too much deals.

Score: 0

By rseiler

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 7:46 PM

How do DSL and cable companies (in the U.S.) continue with their artificially low upload rates? While I don't think many can benefit from 20Mbps up, rates like 384Kbps are weak.

Score: 0

By Daddy_Spank

posted Oct 23, 2007 - 7:32 PM

thats great, only thing is that FIOS is offered in such limited areas...

Score: 0

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