Verizon adds FiOS Quantum tier for 500Mbps broadband speeds
Verizon is giving its FiOS Internet service a major speed bump in the best possible meaning.
The nation's largest mobile provider has just announced it is adding a tier that will support broadband speeds up to 500/100 Megabits per second in markets where FiOS is available.
To demonstrate what these kinds of speeds mean to the average Internet user, Big Red translated this to being able to download a 250MB HD video within four seconds -- or a two-hour full-length film in HD within as little as 1.4 minutes.
While those promised stats are remarkable enough on their own, Deidre Hart from Verizon's FiOS product team stressed "the bigger picture" behind this debut.
Essentially, that's the Internet of Things, which has basically every tech company imaginable buzzing over this hot topic this year as each one fights to get a piece of the action.
See also: ZDNet Special Feature: Tapping M2M: The Internet of Things
Here's more from Hart:
It’s easy to forget that just 10 years ago, dial-up was the common connection to the Internet. Fast forward to 2013 the average Internet speed in American homes has increased to 15.6 mbps with 62% of Internet users in the 2 to 6 Mbps range. And for many small businesses that require moving heavier data – blue prints, videos, ads, image-heavy proposals – more bandwidth is essential. Not to mention, we’ve just started an era when we’ve all become content producers on social media, for example your everyday snowboarders and skiers use Go Pro cameras to record their day on the slopes and create movies using video software to upload online for the world to see. As someone who’s done this before, I can tell you the HD files consume a lot of memory and bandwidth In short, higher bandwidth is becoming more of a necessity then a want!
But probably as expected, such advanced connectivity is going to cost a pretty penny as the service deploys throughout the FiOS coverage area through 2014.
There are a number of options available for residential and business customers, starting at $309.99 per month when paired with HDTV service with a two-year agreement.
Multichannel News reported that there is a standalone version coming for consumers at $299.99 per month.
For small businesses, the top-tier FiOS Quantum Internet service is actually only offered on a standalone basis, starting at $369.99 per month with a two-year agreement.
For a closer look at what is being touted as highest FiOS Quantum speed tier yet, check out the promo video below: