Found: prices behind Verizon's 300Mbps FiOS upgrades
At $204.99 per month is a little pricey, but come June 17 there'll be takers.
by Megan Geuss June 2 2012
An employee at Verizon revealed the price tiers and release date of its new FiOS structuring to The Verge today, saying that the service-which currently tops out at speeds faster than any other ISP at 300 Mbps-will be available on June 17.
Ars reported earlier this week that the fastest level of service that Verizon is planning to offer (300 mbps download, 65 mbps up) will be equivalent to the limits of many dual-band routers. Today we learned that matching your router's maximum speed will cost only $5 more than what many of those who had Verizon's former fastest service (which topped out at 150 Mbps down) were paying. That service will cost $204.99 per month plus a $100 equipment upgrade unless you either sign a two-year contract, are a new customer to Verizon, or you already have the current 150Mbps Internet service.
The second-fastest tier (75 Mbps down, 35 up) will cost $84.99 and will also require a $100 equipment upgrade unless you meet one of those three conditions above.
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ISTM that $204 a month will only appeal to frat houses, hotels, or SOHO users who are willing to share bandwidth - and costs - with their neighbors.
Does anyone know what the practical limit to cable modem speed is? I doubt it's in the 300 Mbps range, and whatever speed it /is/, that effectively limits the speed of the whole system: after all, content providers aren't likely to risk stranding a major portion of their audience by publishing things that require the new, improved higher bandwidth Verizontal is touting. That's not even considering the bandwidth limits of 3G or 4G cellular data plans, which appeal to younger consumers with more money to spend.
Bill Horne Moderator