Telecom Lead America: Mobile service provider Verizon has
increased the speed of its FiOS Internet service.
The new speeds, available in a range of double- and triple-play
bundles, plus stand-alone service, offer significant choices for consumers.
“A revolution in speed has arrived. The new FiOS
Internet speed and bundle options provide incredible value, and represent the
most significant mass scale, consumer broadband speed enhancement in the nation
in the past decade,” said Bob Mudge, president of Verizon’s consumer and
mass market business unit.
The new FiOS Internet tiers containing the highest speeds
are named FiOS Quantum and feature upload/download speeds of 50/25, 75/35,
150/65 and 300/65 megabits per second (Mbps). Three of those speeds ÂÂ
75/35, 150/65 and 300/65 — are twice as fast as those previously offered.
In addition, Verizon will continue to offer its
entry-level speed of 15/5 Mbps.
The two highest downstream speed offers – 150 and 300
Mbps – and the new 65 Mbps upstream speed are by a wide margin the nation’s
fastest, mass scale residential Internet speeds available. By contrast,
the fastest Internet speeds offered by cable-company challengers top out at 105
Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream.
Existing FiOS customers can upgrade to the new bundles
and enjoy the faster speeds anytime, with no upgrade fee. While the majority of
existing FiOS customers will pay $10 to $15 more per month to double or triple
their Internet speed, they may be able to adjust their FiOS TV tiers as desired
and pay roughly the same monthly total that they pay now.
“Consumers will receive great value from the FiOS
Quantum speeds and our customizable bundles. As consumers stream and watch more
movies, sports and shows in their homes on devices other than traditional TVs,
such as smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, smart TVs and Blu-ray players,
they need faster broadband to enhance their experience,” said Mike Ritter,
chief marketing officer for Verizon’s consumer and mass market business unit.
For new customers, prices of triple-play bundles of 15/5
Mbps FiOS Internet, FiOS TV and FiOS Digital Voice unlimited calling will range
from $99.99 to $144.99 per month, depending upon which FiOS TV package is
ordered. The packages are: Prime, with more than 200 channels and more
than 50 HD channels; Extreme, with more than 290 channels and more than 70 HD
channels; and Ultimate, with more than 380 channels plus premium movie channels,
and more than 110 HD channels).
Double-play bundles of the 15/5 Mbps FiOS Internet and
FiOS TV range from $84.99 to $129.99 per month. Stand-alone 15/5 Mbps
service costs $69.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $64.99 per month
with a two-year contract.
Triple-play bundles of the 50/25 Mbps speed range from
$109.99 to $149.99 per month for new customers. Double-play bundles with
FiOS TV range from $94.99 to $134.99 per month. The stand-alone version
costs $79.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $74.99 with a two-year
contract.
Triple-play bundles of the new 75/35 Mbps speed range
from $114.99 to $154.99 per month for new subscribers. Double-play
bundles with FiOS TV range from $99.99 to $139.99 per month. The
stand-alone costs $89.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $84.99 with a
two-year contract.
Triple-play bundles of 150/65 Mbps speed range from
$169.99 to $174.99 per month for new FiOS customers. Double-play bundles
with FiOS TV range from $154.99 to $159.99 per month. The stand-alone
costs $99.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $94.99 with a two-year
contract.
The new 300/65 Mbps tier, offered as a stand-alone only,
costs $209.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $204.99 with a two-year
contract.(3)
The FiOS Quantum speed tiers in particular will help
consumers enjoy connecting to desired content anytime and anywhere, said
Ritter. The fastest speeds will also help consumers take advantage of the
rise in bandwidth-intensive activities, the increased number of
Internet-connected devices being used simultaneously under the same roof and
the growing popularity of watching over-the-top video programming.
