Verizon is poised to throttle up the speed of its fiber-optic service (FiOS) in 10 more states, beginning next week. The super-fast broadband service already has reached maximum velocity in parts of Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, the company said. Since fiber-optic technology sends data with pulses of light, it is the fastest method available for transferring data.
“The Verizon network is delivering broadband speeds that are unmatched by any competitor,” said Verizon President and CEO Denny Strigl. “As our customers shoot and send their own photos and movies, work at home more often, and expand their home networks, they love the faster speeds FiOS delivers.”
The Need For Speed
FiOS offers blistering download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps. By contrast, conventional copper-wire networks offer a maximum of seven Mbps. New customers in parts of California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington will have access to FiOS at maximum velocity beginning next week.
The need for greater speed is crucial for anyone involved in multimedia-intensive online activities such as video conferencing, social networking, multiplayer gaming, and online work collaboration, Strigl said. “The appetite for bandwidth shows no signs of slowing down,” Strigl noted. “Neither will we. We’ve already had successful trials of the 100-megabit home, which will be a reality faster than anybody thinks.”
Having a 50 Mbps broadband connection means a 60-minute Web video could be downloaded in eight seconds. On the upload side, users will be able to relay a photo album containing 400 digital pictures in less than four minutes.
Verizon notes that the nation’s transition to HDTV will place additional demands on home broadband systems. With FiOS, users will be able to download a 112-minute, high-definition movie purchased online in about 13.3…