Verizon at Home

[#1]

In a world of speed, FiOS takes a quantum leap today as we introduce what we believe will be the “new norm” for FiOS broadband customers.

When we say FiOS Quantum, we’re speaking about the new four highest FiOS Internet speed tiers of 50/35, 75/35, 150/65 and 300/65 megabits per second (Mbps).  We’ll still offer our entry-level tier of15/5 Mbps, starting at under $100 in a triple-play bundle and under $65 on a stand-alone basis for people who don’t feel the need for our window-rattling speeds.

Starting now, our existing customers and those who have a need for sensibly priced, high quality and insanely fast broadband can make the switch from slower cable company options whose Internet speeds simply can’t touch ours.

We’re not just introducing the fastest portfolio of Internet services offered by any Internet provider in the nation on a mass scale.  We’re offering simplicity and choice.

Our bundle choice are quite simple – and exactly what our customers tell us they want -- simplicity -- when it comes to making communication choices of voice, Internet and video service.  That’s what you’ll find at www.verizon.com/fiosquantum, in addition to a lot of information about why more broadband speed is important.

While some might say the “new norm” with our Internet speeds is far more juice than they need, and here goes Verizon strutting it’s fiber-rich network, we disagree.  More than half of our FiOS customers already use more than 20 Mbps service, and this reflects that people are pushing their online and digital activities hard.

By 2015, it’s expected that the average home in the U.S. will have between 9 and 15 Internet-connected devices.  Combine that trend with the dramatic rise in online, multi-player gaming and the huge growth in video streaming, and you can see the reason for this speed revolution.

Nearly 20 years ago, 14.4 kilobits per second was the “norm” for us on the Internet.  Back then, we banged out data on our clunky computers.  We reviewed what we wanted to send.  And then we waited, and waited, and waited for the recipient to open our mega-sized file.  As a recipient, we could perform a range of errands -- gas up the car down the street, pick up lunch at a local drive-thru or get a hair cut -- while we waited for enormous files to download.

As a real life example, let’s talk about a two-hour movie.  With a 14.4 Kbps speed, we could download our favorite two-hour video in a mere 231 hours.  That’s nearly 10 days.  Today, with a 300 Mbps connection, that same movie can be downloaded in 40 seconds, faster than most people can gulp down a can of soda.

While we expect the majority of our FiOS customers to initially lean toward the 50 and 75 Mbps speed tier, we believe many customers who are highly dependent on broadband speed for video streaming to gobble up the 150 Mbps speed.  In our former pricing model, 150 Mbps was only offered in a stand-alone basis, and cost $194.99 a month in a one-year plan.  Today, our 150 Mbps service can be ordered in a stand-alone basis for just $94.99 a month with a two-year contract, or for $70 more per month within a triple-play bundle of voice and FiOS TV.

On average, our existing customers who want to more than double their Internet speed will pay about $10 to $15 more per month.  So as consumers stream and watch more movies, sports and shows on a growing plate of digital devices, the new bundle structure will help people select the speed they want, while either sticking with the same amount of FiOS TV content they want, reduce or even raise the amount.

If you and your family are major bandwidth users, you can load up your plate with the fastest speed in your neighborhood.  If you’re more into video and need less broadband speed, you can choose a more content rich video package with premium channels and more high-definition channels, and let your foot of the Internet pedal.

You can read a number of stories about our new pricing structure, or our full news release online Monday morning. But in summary, new customers will pay between $99.99 and $144.99 for a triple-play bundle of15/5 Mbps FiOS Internet, FiOS TV and FiOS Digital Voice unlimited calling. Double-play bundles of the 15/5 Mbps FiOS Internet and FiOS TV range from $84.99 to $129.99 per month.

Triple-play bundles of the 50/25 Mbps speed range will cost between $109.99 to $149.99 per month for new customers, with double-plays $10 less per month.

Triple-play bundles of the new 75/35 Mbps speed range from $114.99 to $154.99 per month for new subscribers, and it has my name written all over it.

You’ve heard about our new 150//35 Mbps bundles earlier, and our fastest speed of 300/65 Mbps tier, offered as a stand-alone only, costs $209.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, and $204.99 with a two-year contract.

This new revolution in speed that’s arrived today will be met with much fanfare.  But it will also be met with some criticism; most certainly from our cable company competitors who have not significantly raised their speeds in many years.  You’ll hear our cable rivals declare that people don’t really need bandwidth speeds in excess of 40 Mbps.  If I were them, I’d say the same thing.  I wouldn’t want to lose my valuable customers and be declared a speed bump.

As you reflect on our new FiOS Quantum offering, ask yourself a few key questions that will help you determine the right package for you:

* How many Internet connected devices do you now have in your home? My household has quadrupled to 20 in just the past few years and I know I’m not alone.

* How many people in your household are engaging in activities that, when done simultaneously can sap your home broadband speed?  It’s a common occurrence in my household to have half my family streaming videos and the other half uploading photos to the Web at the same time.  We’re thankful for our FiOS speed at home, and we’re looking forward to more than doubling our FiOS Internet speed to ensure our daily experience is fun, enjoyable and not a grind like those 14.4 kbps days.

* Are you streaming videos and/or engaging in multi-player gaming? My daughters, wife and I are not big online gamers, but the volume of videos being streamed is only going to grow more in the years to come under our roof.  We will be ready, and we won’t be banging our fists on the table while we wait for the videos to be zapped to and fro.

When we announced the new speeds last month, we heard from many people who were pleased to learn about the ultra-fast speeds.  Now that our new, sensible pricing is revealed, we hope you’ll consider either climbing about the FiOS Quantum bandwagon as an existing or a brand new customer.

On the flip side, the largest amount of people who shared frustrations with us were those who live in areas were FiOS is not available.  We’re still building out our fiber-optic network to serve between 18 and 20 million households in the next few years.  As our subscriber base grows, we’ll continually evaluate the landscape and see if it makes sense to expand our footprint in order to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of FiOS.

[#2]

So if I'm an existing customer of FIOS with 25/25 do I get automatically upgraded to the 50/25 tier?

[#3]

I feel we, as a country, pay too much for high speed internet no matter how many different bundles, ect you create to attract clients. Overseas they pay MUCH less and for even better service and higher speeds. Bring down the costs like else where, you will make people happy, and have more customers. Also,, the feees here are getting too high, service is one cost, then the fees on top of that drives total costs way high. Very unpleasant. Not all people can afford these costs on top of other living expenses. This service should not be a luxury. Thank-You

[#4]

@earthpilot -- You can remain in your current 25/25 Mbps bundle (month to month or multi-year term) OR you can proactively seek to upgrade your speed to the faster 50/25 Mbps service. As noted, the doubling of speed -- in most cases -- will be about $10-$15 more per month if you keep the same FiOS TV package.  But we will not automatically increase a customer's speed without them asking for it.

@notaidanymore -- Our entry-level FiOS bundle pricing remains the same, so if people are comfortable with 15/5 Mbps and their current FiOS TV package, they can do so. The reason for the upgraded speeds is to help consumers take advantage of the more bandwidth-intensive services that are being introduced continuously.  It's easy for headlines to scream out about the top speeds of 300 Mbps and it's cost of apx. $200, but in reality, we expect most customers to lean toward the 50/25 and 75/35 Mbps related bundles that are considerably more affordable than our cable company competitors when factoring the much less speeds they offer consumers.

[#5]

Is there any indication as to when these speeds will be available to Verizon small business customers? I ordered the faster services for my parents and myself this morning but when I tried to upgrade our business they said the new speeds weren't available (we currently have 150/35) and they hadn't even heard of FiOS Quantum until I mentioned it. It seems to me that small businesses would benefit even more from this service since they generally have more users.

[#6]

@bigred96 We will be offering the new FiOS speeds to small businesses within the next few months, and as of now, no later than November. The small business offer could be introduced in Q3.  Thanks for your interest. So far, we're seeing a very nice response from residential customers.

[#7]

Bill

How about BPON customers?

[#8]

@prisaz The new FiOS Quantum speeds are both available to BPON and GPON residential customers now, and the availability is greatest for the BPON customers.  If you're asking about BPON served small business customers, the answer remains in the next couple of months, and no later than November.

[#9]

Bill

 Oh yea. My first modem was a 1200 baud card. Then I bumped  up to 14,4 and then 33,6. Don't forget the ISDN Verizon offered before ADSL. Was 2b+d ? And if you could get your channels to bind properly it was 128Kbps, and not just 2x64. I had to get a Special Serial Port Card for those speeds. Residential ISDN, and the CO could not figure out why my bindings would work and others would not. I said it helps to request two consecutive PID numbers.(Phone Numbers) They bind better on the same rack or card in the CO. The guys just scratched their heads and said, wow he might be right. I believe I still have the 3COM ISDN modem. Then it was 1.5/768 ADSL. But when FiOS launched, I went for the highest. 15/5! Ten times faster. Have always wanted to be on the edge. Now I went 35/35 to 75/35 as explained below. Have been a FiOS Junky ever since. Oh Just to throw this out. Cable never really cut it for me. Had it a month and cut it.

I know, I have upgraded to Quantum speeds as a BPON customer. Sure would like to see a bit of expansion on GPON in some of the older BPON markets. I have been reading some interest for the higher GPON Quantum speeds. I am in Montgomery County Maryland on BPON. I have been a FiOS customer since 2005, and would never think of anything else, or anyone else as a provider. Verizon gets all Kudos from me at 84/39, wishing for GPON 150/65+. Sort of like having that big block engine that would sure burn off those tires. Just knowing it was under the hood would make my heart thump. Even if I did not burn up all the gas, or melt the rubber. I bet others feel the same way.

Not looking for business speeds, but Quantum 150/65 Residential Bundles, that I am sure will be on their way in more markets soon enough.  No I was not talking about business customers.

More Quantum Speeds for BPON because of more BPON available? Let's upgrade a few COs, and OLTs, ONTs for those that want GPON Quantum Bundles.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2012/verizon-ushers-in-new-era-of.html

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When? Long term customers are not the majority? Qualify me for GPON!

Regardless, Quantum speed Rocks!