Verizon has just boosted speeds across its FiOS (fiber-optic connections) network, but the focus is not on downloads so much as it is on uploads. Verizon believes it can set itself apart by appealing to those customers who want to "fully participate in today's interactive, multimedia Web."
Download speeds are increasing today; the base-level 10Mbps package gets a bump to 15Mbps, and the 20Mbps plan jumps to 25Mbps.
But the real action is on the upload side of the equation. The base-level plan came with a 2Mbps upstream connection, but today that's being boosted to 5Mbps. The 20Mbps plan will see upload speeds increase from 5Mbps to 15Mbps.
"Verizon has good news for people who want to enjoy interactive applications like video chat, quickly back up their hard drives, upload photos and videos to e-mail and social networking sites, or send large files to co-workers or clients," said the company today. "The ultra-fast downstream and upstream speed you need every day is here. It is widely available, affordably priced, and there are no artificial limits placed on how much you can use."
"No artificial limits," of course, is a not-so-subtle dig at the cable industry, which has tried on occasion to limit the use of its limited upstream bandwidth.
And, in case you did not catch the trash talking, Verizon's announcement then makes it perfectly clear. "The average upstream connection speed used by cable broadband customers is 2.68Mbps," it says. "Verizon is offering speeds 2-to-7 times faster than this typical cable upload speed."
Are "upload speeds" the new "download speeds"? This is certainly an easy point for Verizon to emphasize, since it costs them almost nothing to up these limits and they don't share the same constraints on upstream bandwidth that some cable systems have.
Whether customers truly care about moving from a 2Mbps to 5Mbps upload is not clear, though the kind of person who signs up with FiOS seems more likely to use their connection for uploading media files.
Download speeds are increasing today; the base-level 10Mbps package gets a bump to 15Mbps, and the 20Mbps plan jumps to 25Mbps.
But the real action is on the upload side of the equation. The base-level plan came with a 2Mbps upstream connection, but today that's being boosted to 5Mbps. The 20Mbps plan will see upload speeds increase from 5Mbps to 15Mbps.
"Verizon has good news for people who want to enjoy interactive applications like video chat, quickly back up their hard drives, upload photos and videos to e-mail and social networking sites, or send large files to co-workers or clients," said the company today. "The ultra-fast downstream and upstream speed you need every day is here. It is widely available, affordably priced, and there are no artificial limits placed on how much you can use."
"No artificial limits," of course, is a not-so-subtle dig at the cable industry, which has tried on occasion to limit the use of its limited upstream bandwidth.
And, in case you did not catch the trash talking, Verizon's announcement then makes it perfectly clear. "The average upstream connection speed used by cable broadband customers is 2.68Mbps," it says. "Verizon is offering speeds 2-to-7 times faster than this typical cable upload speed."
Are "upload speeds" the new "download speeds"? This is certainly an easy point for Verizon to emphasize, since it costs them almost nothing to up these limits and they don't share the same constraints on upstream bandwidth that some cable systems have.
Whether customers truly care about moving from a 2Mbps to 5Mbps upload is not clear, though the kind of person who signs up with FiOS seems more likely to use their connection for uploading media files.
source: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/06/verizon-boosts-fios-speeds-but-talks-mostly-about-uploads.ars
