Verizon FiOS is a 100% fiber-optics based high speed Internet service which includes TV and phone services as well. It can be ordered as Internet only, or as Internet service in combination with TV and/or phone. Phone service is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) based which differs from traditional phone line as this one uses your Internet connection.
Verizon FiOS Plans
FiOS comes in a from of three plans:
- FiOS Fast – 15/5 Mbps maximum download/upload including 9 email accounts & 10 MB of Web space storage.
- FiOS Faster – 25/25 Mbps maximum download/upload including Wi-Fi hotspot access, 9 email accounts and 10 MB of personal Web space storage.
- FiOS Fastest – 50/20 Mbps maximum download/upload with Wi-Fi hotspot access, 9 email accounts and 10 MB of personal Web space storage.
- FiOS Ultimate – Download 150 Mbps/Upload 35 Mbps – wow!
The first plan, FiOS Fast, fits the most of today’s Internet users. It is fast enough for all usual and above usual Internet based activities like downloads and uploads, gaming, and similar. It may chock up a bit if it’s used by multiple users at the same time and with putting high bandwidth demand on it like HD movies or multiple high graphic gaming activities.
The second plan, FiOS Faster, is definitely tailored towards people with higher than usual bandwidth demand, especially those that do a lot of uploads. This would include people that use their Internet connection for work that asks for multiple or constant uploads of huge images or videos. Sometimes, a lot of scanned high quality color images can put a pressure onto Internet connection.
The third plan, FiOS Fastest, is for those that plan to use it for things like HD videos, huge downloads, and certainly multiple users that are in online gaming or movie watching.
The fourth plan, FiOS Ultimate is a WOW! plan. This is I guess like “being there” or having all the stuff right on your PC.
FiOS Internet, TV, Phone
FiOS fiber-optics Internet can be ordered as a stand alone service or combined with Internet based TV and phone. Internet based TV is bit smarter than the regular cable as it offers more of interactive controlling options. FiOS TV also gives you over 130 HD channels, and access to more than 24,000 On Demand movies and programs each month. For folks that are in sports, Verizon now offers ESPN in 3D, so the ball can fly by you now.
FiOS TV can be controlled remotely over the Internet (i.e. scheduling a recording). With the Home Media DVR, you can record two shows at once, then watch them on any TV with the right set top box. Finally, you can watch FiOS TV on your laptop when you’re away from your home.
FiOS phone service, called FiOS Digital Voice, is a VoIP based phone service like those offered by Vonage or AT&T U-verse. It comes with calling features like . It offers unlimited domestic residential calling including U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Price depends on plans you combine into your phone service.
FiOS Pricing
FiOS pricing starts with the Internet service which is in a range from $49.99 per month for the Fast plan with one year term (San Antonio area) up to $139.95/month for the Fastest plan. The Ultimate plan is in a range of $200 per month, depending on its availability. All those prices are before taxes and fees which may vary for each state.
FiOS TV has numerous options that determine the pricing. Pricing for the area of San Antonio is from $64.99/month for Prime HD Plan that includes 195+ HD channels to $89.99/month for Ultimate HD Plan with 350+ HD channels. FiOS TV offers Spanish language plans as well.
FiOS phone service can be ordered for as low as $2.99 per month where you’re charged at the rate of $0.09 for every minute (which does not make it a deal I guess). They also offer a flat rate which was shown as $14.60/month-$19.03/month. Then there is Verizon Five Cents Plan that is $6.00 per month plus 5 cents per each minute of long distance talk. There are also international plans.
To be honest, I found phone service plans bit confusing as there were many options with different prices all over the place, all separated between local, long distance, and international calling.
Anyhow, fiber-optics seems to be way to go, at least for now. Availability still may be a problem as putting down fiber-optics cables is not as easy as using an old infrastructure for DSL and alike services. But hopefully one day most of our homes will have fiber-optics or some other high-tech cable installed and therefore have an access to the latest of what those telecommunication giants like Verizon can offer. That should help with getting the price down too, I hope.