Fios vs.high speed internet
wbman
Enthusiast - Level 1

Verizon uses a selling point comparing fios to cable speeds. I'm curious as to the speed comparison between Verizon high speed Internet 1Mbps/384Kbps compared to Verizon fios 15/5. I'm considering fios upgrade. Any information would be appreciated.

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Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
prisaz
Legend

All the above. Yes FIOS is faster and I am very happy with mine. Some have said that DSL can be had at a much much lower cost for only checking Email and occasional use that may not require higher speeds. Some on a budget have asked if they could get their DSL back. I think once you switch the answer is no. Here is one thread on the subject.

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-Internet/Can-I-get-DSL-speed-and-cost-with-FIOS-ONT/m-p/80629

I think FIOS blows the doors off of cable. But cable says it can match the speed with DOCSIS 3.0 if it is available in you area. I still don't think it matches FIOS's three different wavelengths of light. Cable is just trying to come up with faster ways to use old copper technology.

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Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
somegirl
Champion - Level 3

Well, considering cable > DSL and FiOS > cable... Logically, FiOS > DSL.

(And from personal experience, FiOS is fantastic!)

Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
ohpoleez
Contributor - Level 2

Not sure I am understanding your question here.  The comparison between a 1 Mbps download vs a 15 Mbps download is that the 15 Mbps is fifteen times faster.  Upload is approx the same, about fourteen to fifteen times faster.

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Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
prisaz
Legend

All the above. Yes FIOS is faster and I am very happy with mine. Some have said that DSL can be had at a much much lower cost for only checking Email and occasional use that may not require higher speeds. Some on a budget have asked if they could get their DSL back. I think once you switch the answer is no. Here is one thread on the subject.

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-Internet/Can-I-get-DSL-speed-and-cost-with-FIOS-ONT/m-p/80629

I think FIOS blows the doors off of cable. But cable says it can match the speed with DOCSIS 3.0 if it is available in you area. I still don't think it matches FIOS's three different wavelengths of light. Cable is just trying to come up with faster ways to use old copper technology.

Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

Basic differences.

DSL runs on the phone line. Filters are installed so you can use the internet and phone at the same time, but it is on the phone line.  DSL will usually run somewhere between 1 to 7Mbs download.  In your case you are asking about the 1Mbs speed.

Fios is independent from the phone (not that this makes a lot of difference). The fios has a larger bandwidth capability and currently the slowest speed offered on the fios is 15Mbs down.  meaning its 15 times faster than the DSL you were questioning.

DSL usually starts somewhere around $20 per month and goes up from there. Fios usually starts somewhere around $40 per month and goes up from there.

The decision is basically going to boil down to....what do you use the internet for?  If all you do is email and a little surfing/shopping on the internet. Then DSL is probably adequate and you can save some money. If you do any video gaming, video streaming, downloading music or any other high bandwidth usages, then fios is the way to go.

Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

@prisaz wrote:

I think FIOS blows the doors off of cable. But cable says it can match the speed with DOCSIS 3.0 if it is available in you area. I still don't think it matches FIOS's three different wavelengths of light. Cable is just trying to come up with faster ways to use old copper technology.


Off the original topic but this is an interesting tidbit.  Cable was right when they said that docsis 3.0 was superior to Fios. For about 2 weeks.  Smiley Very Happy  Then Verizon rolled out their Gpon technology. docsis 3.0 has a limit of 400Mbs. Verizon's Gpon has a limit of 2.4Gbs. Of course, both get split between 32 customers, but Verizon's Gpon technology has 6 times greater bandwidth than Docsis 3.0 right now. and fiber optic has the theoretical possibility of nearly unlimited bandwidth even with current technology. All they have to do is add additional light frequencies to the line. So fiber has so much untouched potential at this point. All its going to take, is to get more companies to do fiber and really get the "fiber competition" going and we will see this go gangbusters.

Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
prisaz
Legend

@spacedebris wrote:

@prisaz wrote:

I think FIOS blows the doors off of cable. But cable says it can match the speed with DOCSIS 3.0 if it is available in you area. I still don't think it matches FIOS's three different wavelengths of light. Cable is just trying to come up with faster ways to use old copper technology.


Off the original topic but this is an interesting tidbit.  Cable was right when they said that docsis 3.0 was superior to Fios. For about 2 weeks.  Smiley Very Happy  Then Verizon rolled out their Gpon technology. docsis 3.0 has a limit of 400Mbs. Verizon's Gpon has a limit of 2.4Gbs. Of course, both get split between 32 customers, but Verizon's Gpon technology has 6 times greater bandwidth than Docsis 3.0 right now. and fiber optic has the theoretical possibility of nearly unlimited bandwidth even with current technology. All they have to do is add additional light frequencies to the line. So fiber has so much untouched potential at this point. All its going to take, is to get more companies to do fiber and really get the "fiber competition" going and we will see this go gangbusters.


Gpon was available before DOCSIS 3.0 but not rolled out as you said. I am still not sure it is rolled out, where it might be available, and at what price. We shall see what the furure holds. But how many connections can you make with servers that will let you connect at giga bit or use that speed. Yes with fiber there are no electrical limits so light speed is faster then copper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_optical_network

Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

Yeah, Gpon is out now. its available in 9 states. No differences in price as they are not rolling out the super high speeds. But this is what gave Verizon the ability to upgrade the speeds so that the lowest speed available is the 15/5. Its been out about a year (give or take a couple months) now.

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Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
EricJRW
Enthusiast - Level 2

How close are actually speeds to advertised speeds?

It always says "up to", so how close to the 25/15 and 15/5 does FIOS get?

Thanks

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Re: Fios vs.high speed internet
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

Unlike DSL, with FIOS, what is advertised, is pretty much what you get. FiOS is not sensitive to weather, distance from the Central office, or condition of the copper pair. With DSL you get the slower of either the provisioning speed Verizon sets, or the highest speed your DSL modem can successfully negotiate with the CO equipment. The result is that your actual DSL speed can be a lot less than Verizon provisions you for if you are far from the CO, or the copper pair isn't very good.

Having said that, the FiOS speed is only what the pipe between you and the CO can carry, there are many opportunities for degradation both upstream and downstream of the FiOS link between you and the CO, so your mileage may vary.

Testing my service (which is 20/5) can produce a wide variety of results depending upon where the test server is located, and the time of day, but at best I can usually get about 19.6/5.2 mbps

I do frequently see downloads of large files that exceed 2.2megabytes/sec (17.6 million bits per second).

By contrast when I had DSL, if I could hear thunder, my DSL service was done (FiOS so far has been weather proof, and it has been over a year), and in heavy rain, I lost 500kbps of my 3mbps downlink speed. I never was able to get past about 600kbps on the uplink (supposed to be 768kbps).

So at least in my experience, FiOS is both much faster, and much more reliable than DSL. Your experience may be different.