Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Verizon and Broadband-Over-Fiber

Here's the link: http://news.com.com/Verizon's+fiber+race+is+on/2100-1034_3-5275171.html.
 
Verizon is introducing a broadband service using fiber optic lines. Maximum speed is THIRTY megabits per second. DSL maxes out at 1.5.
 
This service is being rolled out in some test markets now, with multiple pricing options. 2-5 mbps will cost you $40. 15mbps will cost you $50.

So I can get ten times the speed of DSL for roughly the same price? This is going to be a big, big deal. Cable/DSL companies have gotten away with mediocre service and ridiculous pricing because there were no alternatives. If this can get traction, watch broadband prices absolutely plummet. DSL and cable have been competing, but not in the scorched earth kind of way. Now it is definitely on.
 
This is also going to force cable companies to stop screwing us on bandwidth--they won't be able to cram so many people onto the same node, because we have an alternative.

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