Verizon speeds up FiOS to 150M bps

22.11.2010
Verizon is adding a new tier of service to its FiOS fiber broadband service, offering 150M bps (bits per second) downstream and 35M bps upstream for US$194.99 per month.

The carrier has begun to roll out the service to consumers in the 12 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, where FiOS is available. Small businesses will be able to get it by the end of the year, Verizon said on Monday. The fastest service offered so far on FiOS has been 50M bps downstream and 20M bps upstream.

The service will be available to a majority of households that are eligible for FiOS. It will be available as a stand-alone service at the $194.99-per-month price when purchased with a one-year service agreement and Verizon wireline voice service.

FiOS runs on an all-fiber-optic network that has allowed Verizon to offer higher speeds than AT&T, the other major U.S. telecommunications carrier, which operates in different territories and is building a network where fiber goes only part of the way to most homes. The fastest wired consumer service from AT&T offers 24M bps downstream and 3M bps upstream. Earlier this year, on the most advanced equipment now in use on the FiOS network, though it has not predicted when that speed might be offered for sale.

However, FiOS is only available to about 12.5 million U.S. households. Verizon earlier this year announced plans to add just 1 million new households to its FiOS footprint. The carrier's goal is to reach 18 million households, though that doesn't mean it won't go beyond that, company spokesman Cliff Lee said.

With the new service, consumers will be able to and upload 20 high-resolution vacation photos in about 20 seconds, according to a video introducing the service that Verizon posted to YouTube on Monday.