Will Verizon Offer Symmetrical FiOS? > accelerate deployment

accelerate deployment

A lot of customers like the month-to-month (no contract) option of cable-based HSI, even where FIOS is available; how else is it that cable isn't losing more HSI customers than it is in areas where FIOS is available today? Given that FIOS has more bandwidth (in both directions) than Comcast HSI for the same price, I would expect the HSI churn rate to have *exploded* in areas where CHSI and FIOS are competing heads-up (such as Bowie, Maryland); however, from postings in both forums, that by and large is not happening. Annual and longer than annual contracts go over with a large number of people like lead balloons (witness the uptake for Comcast's own triple play); I see Comcast (in fact, all cable companies) to continue to allow month-to-month HSI as well as cable TV due to its attractiveness to the customer base.

The best speed outside cablevision land is 16/5 (but probably 16/2) megabits which is really 12/3.8 or 12/1.8 in reality docsis mode. FIOS is 5/2 to 50/5 with very little slowdowns on the downstream... upstream has some work to do to get the caps closer to its label (go figure, huh?) But still FTTP is the more rock solid node technology. Why someone wouldn't want that month to month over cable HSI is beyond me..
Verizon is also known for their take 2+ services or nothing if you just want FTTP HSI access and that's it.. they'll put restrictions like forced billing to a credit card (in the past anyway).. most smart people would get 20/5 for $50 a month and Voip from a 3rd party provider.. Vonage or Sunrocket sounds good, then keep a cell phone for 911 as a backup.

FTTP can go head to head with all docsis deployments. FTTP clearly beats docsis 2.0,especially on the upstream, while it is unclear that G-PON will beat docsis 3.0 because the technologies do not compete head to head in ANY market currently, and providers aren't that eager to raise caps for these LOW prices (around $50 a month) just yet even if they *COULD* through the technology upgrades..despite Verizon's claim of GPON test markets, and cablecos' PRE-CERT & BETA docsis 3.0 gear. Expect delays of real deployment to stretch well into 2008 at the earliest.. but on the good news side, gigabit routers (with the coveted gigabit wan ports) are FINALLY making their way to consumer's hands!! YAY!

Two words: annual contract.

Cable, to its credit, has seldom been big on annual or longer contracts (the only exceptions have been their bundles): instead, they are month-to-month. This is unlike satellite-TV (either small-dish or large-dish) or their broadband (and most dial-up) ISP competitors. The very fact that you can kick cable to the curb with little waiting (and no penalty) is itself apparently *very* relaxing. Contrast this to FIOS (signing up for even *one* of their services requires an annual contract, and you can't have just phone on FIOS for now, so VZ can sign up *existing* phone-only customers and move folks off copper that way). Sometimes a great price, backed up with great service and a better product than the competitors *isn't* enough, if to get it you have to take something you don't want. And so far a lot of people don't want the commitment of that annual contract.