Verizon FiOS hitting 50Mbps in more states

Sure, it's not quite 100Mpbs, but hey, the folks in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will probably take what they can get. Verizon has just announced that Massachusetts and Rhode Island have now joined New York, Connecticut and New Jersey as states where Verizon "has increased the maximum connection speed of both its mid-tier and top-tier FiOS Internet services." Previously, their mid-range connection topped out at 15Mbps downstream and a paltry 2Mbps upstream, while the high-end package offered just 30Mbps up and 5Mbps down. Basically no other details were given, but Verizon did state that it planned on bringing similar speed boosts to "11 other states where the service is available" during the course of this year, but didn't mention any type of price decreases from the admittedly lofty monthly charges top-tier customers currently pay. Now, how about we get FiOS to more homes before giving all the lucky ones even more bandwidth to play with next time you get the itch to upgrade, okay Verizon?

[Via GigaOM]

[emehrkay @ Jan 11th 2007 3:51PM]

I feel like I'd be helping them fight net neutrality by getting this service and I dont know why

[Totalfixation @ Jan 11th 2007 3:56PM]

"while the high-end package offered just 30Mbps up and 5Mbps down."

is that right?

[Faisal @ Jan 11th 2007 6:40PM]

lol...they meant 30Mbps DOWN and 5Mbps UP lol...but still...that is FAST...my father (i'm 17, so no...i'm not a 30 year old nerd that still lives with his parents), pays $73/month for 20 down/5 up from RCN...it's pretty fast but expensive...i need this for the high upload bandwidth because i sometimes host CS game servers and i have my own webserver at home and I need that extra up bandwidth!! Verizon RULES!! I talked to a verizon tech guy the other day and they should be installing FiOS in TWO months around my area (Upper Darby, PA...in case anyone lives here, you'll know when FiOS is coming heh)! w00000t!

[tomtux @ Jan 11th 2007 4:04PM]

I wish I had 100 Mega/byte second.

[jwardell @ Jan 11th 2007 4:21PM]

Yep, I got mine upgraded over the phone this weekend from 15 to 20..the better benefit is going from 2 to 5 MB up. Confirmed it all with a speedtest. What they are not saying is the price went from $45 to $49...but well worth it.

[andy @ Jan 12th 2007 9:13AM]

You just made my blood boil...... 49 bucks for 20/5 service!!!!????


You've got to be f'n kidding me!


I pay 55/mo for my 5/1 service from Charter cable that NEVER breaks a 3/.2, and is OFTEN broken altogether.

I'm sick now and I'm going home. This is f'n ridiculous. $*$&%*& CHARTER CABLE!

[steven moffat @ Jan 11th 2007 4:22PM]

In the words of Borat " Very nice, How Much?"

[Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Jan 11th 2007 4:22PM]

It sucks that Verizon is so slanted to Bell Atlantic instead of GTE. They need to show the West Coast some of this love first.

[Dignan17 @ Jan 11th 2007 4:27PM]

"30Mbps up and 5Mbps down"

Woah! That's some fast upload speed for low-end down speeds.

[Darren @ Jan 11th 2007 5:49PM]

Yeah, they kept the upload speed the same, and only upgraded the downstream.

[KaosDG @ Jan 11th 2007 4:31PM]

Great.

Now what about Brooklyn?!!?!

[KMFurDM @ Jan 11th 2007 4:31PM]

How about flipping that switch in Pennsylvania Verizon? Suburban Philly will thank you. Oh yeah...and no tiered internet or I'll drop your ass. kthanxbye

[010111 @ Jan 11th 2007 4:33PM]

"Previously, their mid-range connection topped out at 15Mbps downstream and a paltry 2Mbps upstream, while the high-end package offered just 30Mbps up and 5Mbps down."


what?

[John B @ Jan 11th 2007 4:42PM]

"and a paltry 2Mbps upstream"

Ah, excuse me, Mr. High-And-Mighty! This was **exactly** one of the two reasons why I switched from Comcast cable to Verizon as my ISP! Comcast kept bragging all about 15 MB down, 15 MB down, 15 MB down, while giving users a freaking stranglehold of 256 Kb up *AND* (the other reason) at almost twice monthly cost than Verizon DSL, which I ordered at 3 Mb down and 768 Kb up. Yes, I lost 1/2 the download speed, which is not really a big deal, but I gained 3x the upload speed, which *is* a big deal, being a gamer who often acts as server/host.

When I found out that FIOS was availble at 15/2, I jumped on it only three months after switching from Comcast. So, less than a year ago Comcast was strangling people at 256 Kb up. **THAT'S** paltry.

[John B @ Jan 11th 2007 4:44PM]

Okay, my bad. Let me clarify. Comcast was bragging about 6 Mb down, which was their standard download rate at the time that I switched, but they were starting to roll out their "burst" option with speeds of around 12-15 Mb down.

[hesh @ Jan 11th 2007 4:46PM]

Um yeah, I'd take that 15Mbps down/2Mbps up any day over my "premium" Road Runner.

[Matt @ Jan 11th 2007 4:57PM]

Well if the HD revolution is now then we need that bandwidth!

[PEZ @ Jan 11th 2007 4:58PM]

If you jackasses think 2MBPS UPSTREAM is paltry, you sure dont know what the F* you are talking about.

Also, you have your numbers recversed on the higher end. its 30 DOWN and 5 UP.

Do your research and have a technical person re-read your shit before you post stories about things you know nothing about.

[Brian @ Jan 11th 2007 5:02PM]

Now how about giving us Fios in Central and Southern NJ?!?!

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 11th 2007 6:58PM]

It's available in South Jersey. Give Verizon a call.

[Matt @ Jan 12th 2007 9:13AM]

Just got it in Hamilton, NJ last week. The installers told me FiosTV would be available in a few weeks too.

[zakasauraus @ Jan 11th 2007 5:04PM]

I don't understand why Verizon limits the upload speed. Could someone here enlighten me? Here in Utah, we get 15Mbps down AND up on the Utopia fiber.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 11th 2007 9:54PM]

It's to limit or prevent people from running servers over a non-buisness line. That is one reason and there are others.

[Jon @ Jan 11th 2007 5:06PM]

I would give my left foot for 15mb down...damn AT&T has a monopoly in my area and theres no way to get Verizon Fios!

[Ryan @ Jan 11th 2007 5:07PM]

Odd, I go to verizons site, type in my phone number and still says Fios isnt available in my part of Massachusetts (Right outside of Boston)

[macona @ Jan 11th 2007 5:26PM]

They are installing this in my neighborhood (Beaverton, OR) as we speak. Cant wait to ditch comcast.

[Ian @ Jan 11th 2007 5:34PM]

Does this include Fiber Television or is New Jersey the only state where Verizon is offering the Fiber TV too?

[taka @ Jan 11th 2007 6:10PM]

i live in boston's suburbs and i have the fios...it is for me about 20 down and 2.7 up according to speakeasy.net's speed test thing

[h0mi @ Jan 11th 2007 6:18PM]

Bring it to southern california already... and I don't mean LA metro area.

[bsm0f0 @ Jan 11th 2007 6:38PM]

i'm smack in the middle of boston ... and no FIOS ... wtf.

[...Jan... @ Jan 11th 2007 6:49PM]

Sheesh, I wish I had Verizon here. I have a choice between Cox Cable and Sprint/Embarq DSL. And Cox just now bumped it up to 6 Mbs in my area. Sprint at 5Mbs.
I guess when that whole streaming HD content happens I'll miss out. Heck, my current connection is 1.5Mbs...

[Jaxim @ Jan 11th 2007 6:54PM]

I wish they're able to get this into Manhattan finally. Too much red tape!

[giedrys @ Jan 11th 2007 6:57PM]

What about Chicago? Any chance to get at least 10-15meg down and 1meg up?

[Lee Benningfield @ Jan 11th 2007 7:20PM]

I live in Massachusetts, outside of THE BIGGEST CITY in Massachusetts, and I still can't get FiOS. I wish Verizon would hurry up and get their act together, I'm getting sick of dealing with Comcast...

[fork @ Jan 11th 2007 7:53PM]

i'm sure everybody in the wealthiest suburbs of boston will be thrilled. the rest of us, not so much.

[DWells55 @ Jan 11th 2007 8:28PM]

And to this I say:
F**k you, Comcast.

[Alex @ Jan 11th 2007 8:37PM]

I'm fine with their current geographic region. I got the service yesterday. It's crazy fast even at "just" 15 mbps. It can download a 100 meg file in under a minute.

[Xee @ Jan 11th 2007 10:00PM]

Being in Illinois, at least there's a *chance* they'll throw us a bone and expand FIOS to our state since we're in their territory. One can only hope.

[J @ Jan 11th 2007 11:28PM]

One of the other reasons they limit the bandwidth at 5 Mbps up is because it's expensive. Everytime a provider drops a bit on to someone elses network, it costs them money. People will argue that Verizon has a peering agreement so they don't have to pay. But, if all of a sudden, Verizon starts dumping traffic on provider X's backbone that is their peer, and provider X isn't sending them nearly as much traffic, provider X can break their peering agreement and charge Verizon millions.

So, it makes fiscal sense. Also, most people (ie, not those on Engadget) don't really need faster than 5 Mbps right now -- as they're not uploading pictures and movies to websites that often. Your complaints about running a website don't even enter the mind of most consumers. (By the way, if you're running a website, 5 Mbps is pretty damn good - don't you think?)

[J @ Jan 11th 2007 11:30PM]

Sorry, just to complete the thought -- if they start sending a lot of traffic to Comcast, (who currently pays them for access) then Comcast might consider them a peer, and no longer have to pay Verizon for access to it's backbone. That would be very bad, and undermine the economics of Verizon's current setup.

[Tim @ Jan 12th 2007 1:15AM]

Wow!
Here in the Uk, we can only get 8meg down in most places, not even half a meg up.

[Anders G @ Jan 12th 2007 11:29AM]

Is the situation really this bad in the US?
I live in Sweden and have 100mbit up and 100mbit down at home for about $76/month.
For a 100 down, 10 up you have to pay $44.
This of course is only in fiber connected homes, which i'm fortunate enough to live in.
Regular ADSL 24 mbit costs something like $35. (Different prices from different providers of course).

[pete @ Jan 12th 2007 2:03PM]

I just recieved a notice in the mail from verizon FIOS letting me know that they planned to hike their prices in a month, and if I wanted to lock in the current prices I had to upgrade now and/or keep my account valid.

[buttbutt @ Jan 12th 2007 3:59PM]

Geesh, the picture here is real old too. The current rev of ONT's is a off white plastic, not the ugly gray. Not said by anyone yet and a further reason for my shifting is that Verizon offers static IPs on their business service. You pay a little more, but you can actually serve. Cablevision even for business doesn't offer that. Can toss away a backup server at another site now too. Having had fios internet for a year or so I have no complaints other than when the power goes out, and everything else does too eventually. But, I don't have any phones at the house that don't require power so it doesn't make that much of a difference.

[Matt @ Jan 13th 2007 8:06PM]

Mpbs... Mega PBS? I'm not sure I can deal with that. They already have about 15 channels in my cable lineup as it is.

[Patrick @ Jan 22nd 2007 4:48AM]

you can all go to hell. "a paltry 5mbps up." im still on dialup. im a mile away from dsl, and the trees are too high for canopy wireless. im a 2000$ tower away from broadband. you bastards!

[s @ Feb 8th 2007 3:18PM]

Just got Verizon Fios and it's amazing. Some god info and customer comments on http://www.verizonfiosreview.com as well as some good links. Get it if you can!!! 30mg