Getting FiOS

[Mitchell Andrus]

Fiber optic phone and internet, Mon or Tues. Not TV (yet) Directtv for that.

Wish me luck.

[jeremy levine]

I have it. No direct TV , just phone and net. Went in like a charm. Speeds as promissed. No issues
had it for about a year. I event got to use the phone during a blackout ( on the installed battery backup )

[Jim Becker]

Grrrrrrr...my fiber is STILL dark and has been on the poles for almost a year. Congrats on your FiOS...lucky dog! (Nice birthday gift!)

[Russ Filtz]

Only thing I still don't like about DSL or FIOS is most if not all require 1-yr service contracts. Still like my cable where I can come or go, no contracts (even though I haven't).

[Mitchell Andrus]

Jim,

Not for me.... my wife works at home, she runs the big sales and maintenance contracts database for AT&T, Lucent, IBM.... She can look up the model phone your parents rented (remember those days?) when they got thier first phone. THAT database!

The catch is.... <drum roll> Installation of FiOS permanantly kills going back to DSL. DSL is dead.

Of course, we all know that within 10 years, we'll all be on fiber, they'll be giving it away - they need to stop maintaining copper wire - too much $.

THEN..... Internet metering. No kidding. How about paying for content by the byte? It's coming.

[John Shuk]

Jeremy,
I built a large portion of the FIOS plant in Pleasantville. I'm glad to hear it is working well. I'm happy to see people buying it. Job security is a nice thing.

[Matt Meiser]

Jeremy,
I built a large portion of the FIOS plant in Pleasantville. I'm glad to hear it is working well. I'm happy to see people buying it. Job security is a nice thing.

When you gonna build one here? :D

Actually I'd be very suprised if Verizon ever builds out my area. They won't even spend money to maintain the 60 year old copper near us. Much more likely is that the local mom-and-pop telco/cable/internet company in the next town over will build out our area. We had them at our old house and they had fiber to the premise when we bought that house in 2000.

[Jim Becker]

Only thing I still don't like about DSL or FIOS is most if not all require 1-yr service contracts. Still like my cable where I can come or go, no contracts (even though I haven't).

Not so with VZ. You can buy it month to month...it just costs more and you pay for installation.


The catch is.... <drum roll> Installation of FiOS permanantly kills going back to DSL. DSL is dead.

True...the copper goes away. I look at that as a good thing...

[Jack Hogoboom]

Mitchell,

I'm very jealous. We have fiber to the curb here and I was all set to switch until my wife advised me that her company pays for our Internet access since she works from home.

It's hard to argue with free....

Let us know how it works out for you.

Jack

[Jim Becker]

Jack...won't her company allow for an alternative provider that give much higher performance for the same (or sometimes less) cost?

[Sean Hughes]

Anybody have experience with the Fios TV? I'm considering switching from the monoploy of Comcast and just wanted to hear any opinions.

Thanks

[Mitchell Andrus]

I know someone who went whole hog.... phone, data, TV, and she loves the TV service. We're going to get just the phone and data for now. I like Directtv and I haven't ruined the one year old HD $500.00 sat/tivo box - yet - so I'm not ready to switch.

[Jim Becker]

Sean, by all reports the FiOS TV offerings are outstanding in picture quality...they can do a whole lot less compression. That's especially important for HD. The price is right, too...What comes with the "base" FiOS TV offering for about $45 a month would cost me about $85 with Comcast. (I refuse to pay another $50 to Comcast just to get Nikleodeon, DIY and HGTV right now...)

[John Shuk]

Anybody have experience with the Fios TV? I'm considering switching from the monoploy of Comcast and just wanted to hear any opinions.

Thanks

Sean as a disclaimer I work for Verizon. I have nothing to do with marketing or sales. I'm not trying to sell it alothough I am proud of what we are putting out there. I am also not an authorized spokesman for Verizon. I am having a conversation with friends. I get to check out the FIOS TV in the central Offices where I work and it is outstanding. The High Def picture seems to be better than a thing I have seen on display at the large electronic retailers. I really am blown away by the detail. Through the use of MoCA the set top boxes will have the ability to talk to one another and you will have the ability to have one DVR and view recorded content in any other room. The amount of High-Def content that we can offer seems extrordinary. The ON Demand content will be provided via Internet Protocol so it should download quickly.
The beauty of Fiber is that once the glass is there, a fairly simple (if not inexspenive) upgrade of electronics at the ends can boost speeds to seemingly infinite levels.

Matt,
I bet FIOS might make it your way sooner than you think (if Verizon is your provider) It seems that currently we are building densly populated areas in order to convert the most customers for the least amount of capitol cost. That said, Fiber itself is less expensive than copper by far although I imagine R/D costs for terminating equipment may currently be high. Fiber also has little to no maintainence. So if that 60 year old cable gets too expensive to continually bandaid then fiber is an attractive option.

If I seem a little enthusiastic forgive me. Must be too many pep rallies!

[Matt Meiser]

I do have Verizon. Actually I noticed today that they are doing some work in my area. However, the enclosures they are installing appear to look just like what has always been around so my guess is it is copper upgrades. Or it could be someone elses equipment.

[Dave Carey]

I have FIOS for internet and TV. No problems with either after 5 months of use. Biggest challenge was converting the channel number from the ones I had memorized with Cox Communications cable to the new set up.

[John Shuk]

I do have Verizon. Actually I noticed today that they are doing some work in my area. However, the enclosures they are installing appear to look just like what has always been around so my guess is it is copper upgrades. Or it could be someone elses equipment.

Matt,
If you start to see large coils of cable at road crossings chances are that they are working on Fiber plant. Again I hate to tread so close to the line of self interest here but you might want to talk to some of the local politicians in the area about the importance of good broadband availability. Whether it is brought in by Verizon or cable or whomever. I know that any of the providers is going to be more willing to build next generation plant in towns that won't give them alot of resistance.

[jeremy levine]

I have it. No direct TV , just phone and net. Went in like a charm. Speeds as promissed. No issues
had it for about a year. I event got to use the phone during a blackout ( on the installed battery backup )


It's very cool , I stayed home to see it installed. 15 years ago we joked about fiber to the desk top now I have it to my house, un real.

The local installation team was great.