Fios!

[Stixbaraca]

Well, I got the FIOS installed today finally after debating for a while. Installation went very smooth, and is up and running like clockwork!

I just tested the speed at Speakeasy:

15209 kbps download
1766 kbps upload

It's amazing what a piece of fiber the same diameter as a human hair can do...Internet, phone, and TV!!!!

 

[bryan]

Nice! Thats ***** speed!

Edit - Now I'm more jealous :) Just tested mine for a dismal 7336 kbps down and 476 up :(

 

[JnS]

nice speeds :)

 

[Stixbaraca]

pretty pscyhed...and a lot cheaper that Comcast!

 

[Stixbaraca]

Absolutely! I'd love to test out the connection.

The funny thing is my fiancé and I grew up about 20 minutes from center city Philadelphia, and we decided we wanted to move even further out in the boonies! The area I live in was one of the first to vote to allow Verizon to compete with Comcast in the "cable TV" market...so they scrambled and set up the Fiber network here...and now we are some of the few that have the network up and running. We are still unable to get FIOS closer to the city where we both grew up! in a few months we can say adiós to Comcast for good when the fiber TV is available!

 

[familyreefer]

Stars

Hey Coralnuts, I bet you can see the stars when you look up to the night sky though!!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Hey can you share a little more ifon of speakeasy? Never heard of it.

 

[JGoslee]

I've never heard of Fios. Is this a new internet highspeed? I thought Comcast was the best?

 

[Stixbaraca]

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Is a website you can go to test your upload and download speeds Rev. It is awesome!

http://www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios

JG...FIOS is a new service offered by Verizon that runs on Fiber Optic...not Coaxial cable. It is way faster, and cheaper. They have 3 speed options available right now for the home consumer where I live:

5 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up - $34.95/month
15 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up - $44.95/month
30 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up - $179.95/month

They are having a special right now...both the 5 & 15 are only $29.99/month for 3 months...then back to original price...when I'll switch back to the 5/2 package

Comcast of course is in the $42.99 range for cable TV customers...and you'd be lucky to see 5 Mbps download speeds...plus I figured the future is all about Fiber Opric...and Verizon will be offering fiber (cable) TV soon!

 

[JGoslee]

Hey thanks for the info Steve. I wonder if they offer fois in Glenolden? I think I'll be looking into this.

 

[Stixbaraca]

If you go to that website, and punch in your phone number it will tell you. As soon as they finished running the Fiber, they began pushing it hard core in this area...a lot of my neighbors are switching over.

 

[Stixbaraca]

Sounds good! I remember whne I would have been head over heals for a fractional T1!!!

 

[rmhuntley]

Do they provide an ISP, or are you on your own for that?

 

[Stixbaraca]

They are the ISP as well. They run Fiber into my basement where there is a conversion box...Fiber in/Cat5 out...the Cat5 runs up to a modem/wireless router (provided for free...no monthly fee or anything). The another Cat5 cable runs from there to my computer. It works the same way as Comcast...just open Internet Explorer and you online. The also have my phone system tied into the conversion box as well, so my phone is running over the fiber as well. They also included a battery back-up system as well...in the event of a power outage, I will have up to 8 hours of phone power. Here are pictures of the hardware and installation. In our neighborhood there are no telephone poles...all electric and everything are run underground. In front of my house is the access point for the Fiber...

Then the Fiber runs underground to my house where it is drilled into the basemanet and run through...

Then it is run into this acces panel and converted to phone/internet/TV...notice the battery back-up system below and to the right...