If you are unaware what "Verizon FiOS" is it is Verizon's advanced high speed, high bandwidth "fiber to the premises" product. Verizon has built out a netwok in some markets where Verizon is the ILEC ( incumbent local exchange carrier ) to actually deliver a true fiber optic handoff straight to any residence or business location.
FiOS is sending a shudder down the spines of current cable companies becuase of the blazing speeds that Fios is able to deliver for a fraction of the cost.
But the real question is will Tucson AZ ever get Verizon FiOS service?
It's doubtful that Tucson will ever see Verizon FiOS. Mainly because Verizon is not the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC), Qwest is. FiOS currently only appears to be availiable where Verzion has significantly built out it's fiber network and is the ILEC. And since it would be an illegal monopoly for Verizon to attempt to purchase Qwest to become the ILEC here in Arizona it is doubtful that we will ever see Verizon FiOS service.
But don't fear the CLECs such as Comcast and Cox communications are already increasing speeds just to be competitive in the slight event that Verizon finds some loop hole or some other unanticipated opportunity to build out it's fiber network here in Tucson and bring in FiOS.
Comcast is increasing the speed of its broadband service in what looks like an attempt to keep pace with Verizon Communications' Fios service.
On Tuesday, the nation's largest cable operator confirmed it has doubled download speeds of its fastest broadband service in four cities: Reston, Va.; Sarasota, Fla.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; and Howard County, Md.
Comcast is automatically upgrading customers of its premiere broadband service to 16mbps (megabits per second) for downloads and 1mbps for uploads at a cost of $52.95 per month. Previously, Comcast had offered customers in these cities speeds of 8mbps downstream and 768kbps (kilobits per second) upstream for $52.95 per month.
The cities selected for the initial upgrade also happen to be those where Verizon Communications is offering its fiber to the home service, called Fios.
Verizon representatives said that Comcast's move to increase speeds is an attempt to match the Fios service.
"It's a reaction to Fios," said Bobbi Henson, a spokeswoman for Verizon. "Comcast sees the success we have been having, and they are trying to catch up."
Verizon's lowest tier of Fios service offers download speeds of up to 5mbps, with upload speeds of 2mbps for $39.95. For $49.95, consumers can get download speeds up to 15mbps with uploads of 2mbps, and for $199.95, customers can download at 30mbps and upload at 5mbps.
Comcast denies that it is raising speeds to compete with Verizon's Fios service. Instead, the company said it increased download speeds to test new applications it plans to offer its broadband customers.
"We chose to test this new high-speed service in markets that are competitive and where we know we have a high level of broadband penetration," said Jeanne Russo, a company spokeswoman. "Reston, Va., was one of the first places where we offered broadband service, and we have 70 percent market penetration there."
Last year, other cable companies introduced higher-speed services in Fios territory. Cox Communications boosted speeds in its Northern Virginia territory to 15mbps, and Adelphia Communications announced that it is raising speeds to 16mbps to residents in Leesburg, Va.
It might become an all out price war in markets where FiOS is availiable. Not only is Verizon able to offer very high-speed broadband, but it can offer a package that also includes TV service.
Optical Internet (OI) is a "Fiber direct to the premises" offered by a few different ILEC's and CLEC's around the USA . It is a Fiber Optic dat product service via an ethernet handoff. OI is primarily for medium- to large-sized businesses, and government and educational entities who need a high-capacity, dedicated connection to the Internet.
Optical Internet (OI) is designed for enterprises requiring a very-high speed, scalable and symmetrical Internet connection. OI also meets the needs of enterprises who require Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail feed and outbound relay services in support of company Mail servers; primary and secondary Domain Name Service (DNS) and IP address leasing in support of company servers (Web, Mail, FTP, etc.), routers and firewalls; and multi-homing/Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing, Newsgroup access, and Managed Router-based access and security services.
Optical Internet can also scale to meet the needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs) who need a cost-effective, reliable alternative to DSL services or higher cost T1 Internet connections.
Optical Internet is available at a variety of bandwidth tiers, providing businesses with a scalable, highly customizable solution to their Internet service needs.
Features and Benefits
High-speed, high-capacity metropolitan area network (MAN) in certain markets
Fiber optic based, using SONET, Gigabit Ethernet and DWDM technology Scalable bandwidth to meet increasing demand without major network upgrades Nationwide fiber optic backbones
Provisioned at OC-48 (2.4 Gbps) or higher Interconnects all fiber and legacy copper wire systems with certain CLEC's with major peering centers dispersed across the U.S. Major fiber systems served with multiple, redundant links World class peering, both public and private Built to meet future bandwidth needs & advanced IP applications Provides businesses with a high-performance, high-capacity, highly reliable, low latent, scalable and cost-effective Internet access service to support their current and future Internet access requirements or advanced IP applications.
Delivered via CLEC owned and managed fiber optic local network
Two-way, symmetrical communications infrastructure High-capacity, highly-scalable Extremely reliable with multiple service redundancy options Delivers very high-speed, high-capacity, symmetrical two-way communications over an extremely reliable and highly scalable fiber optic connection; no copper wires used. Dedicated, symmetrical, scalable bandwidth
Delivered over dedicated SONET transport circuits to certain CLEC's and ILEC's Points of Presence (POPs) Dedicated, symmetrical bandwidth tiers, scalable from 1.5 Mbps to 1 Gbps Special asymmetrical bandwidth tiers, designed for small- to medium-sized businesses who need a cost-effective, reliable alternative to DSL services & higher cost T1 Internet connections Multiple industry standard interface options (DS-n, OC-n, Ethernet) Provides businesses ample capacity and numerous bandwidth tiers to choose from. Select the interface options to connect to your equipment that best meets your needs. Makes for a highly customizable solution while minimizing your capital costs. Unlimited seats of service Connect all business users & servers over a single connection. Business Domain Name Service
CLEC DNS primary & secondary Domain Name Service (DNS) for 1 domain name; additional domain name hosting available Supports existing web, FTP, mail etc. servers and gateways Helps businesses establish and maintain a professional Internet presence without the expense of buying and maintaining a DNS server. Email transport / relay services
Optional CLEC services for business-class email service Supports the transfer / delivery of mail to / from your business' mail server or SMTP gateways to maintain effective communications with customers, prospects, and business partners using your company's domain name. IP address leasing
Base packages may and usually do include 8 leased, public, static IP addresses
Using OI you can generally lease additional public, static IP blocks as justified Provides public static IP addresses in support of business servers (Web, Mail, FTP, etc.), routers, firewalls and VPN hosts. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) service
Supports multi-homing connections between Cox & other ISPs Or load-balance Internet traffic over multiple connections Deploy multiple Internet connections via Cox or in combination with other ISPs to provide a highly-efficient, vendor redundant service Newsgroup services (optional)
Multiple bandwidth tiers available in small increments Pricing includes all telecom charges (local loops, metro transport fees, etc.); no additional hidden charges to incur Typically increase bandwidth w/o equipment or circuit changes Enables businesses to buy only what they need with no hidden telecom charges as with other providers. Choose an Ethernet interface & scale bandwidth without any equipment or circuit swap-outs, or service interruptions. End-to-End Management
Fiber network equipment connects to customer router via industry-standard, user-selectable interfaces Included in monthly service fee Optional fiber Manager router available CLEC network equipment delivered, set-up and managed, enhancing service reliability. Connect customer equipment via standard interfaces or choose fiber Managed Router option and save on capital costs.
Enhanced Protection Option
Enhanced Protection Option (EPO) is an optional service that improves the reliability of your Optical Internet circuit. EPO utilizes both electronic redundancy and fiber path diversity techniques to deliver a highly available connection.
With EPO, CLEC supplied electronics at the customer's premise(s) are provisioned with 1:N or 1:1 electronic redundancy for each circuit delivered, providing a backup to unexpected electronic failures. EPO may also provide two physically separate fiber optic paths between a customer premise and the CLEC Master Telecommunication Center (MTC) that serves it. This enables CELC's and ILEC's to provide both a working and protect circuit to guard against a service interruption caused by a fiber optic cable cut or failure.
Optical Internet with EPO provides your business with a highly-reliable, high uptime Internet service to meet the needs of your most demanding and mission-critical Internet-based applications and systems.
In addition to the specific features, benefits and strengths of Optical Internet, OI customers also benefit from the overall strength of Fiber Optic Communications
Optical Internet offers a high-value alternative to Internet services provided by the ILEC and other CLECs, and local, regional or national Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
So do not settle for just getting a bunch of overpriced and inferior T1's when you do have superior products availiable from multiple other sources to include Fiber optic drive ClEC's that offer "Optical Internet"
Keith John Gill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Makeup and Family. Blazing Fast Business Class Internet and VoIP solutions for all Southern Arizona BusinessesFREE Consultation Call Keith 520-867-7600 or