Comcast Upstream Tests: 75-100 Mbps > Well, they can compete with fiber now...

Well, they can compete with fiber now...

Comcast is already competing quite nicely with Verizon FiOS, but the technology is still considerably behind with regards to potential FTTP capabilities.

Verizon has been doing some similar testing with XG-PON FTTP results at 10Gbps/2.4Gbps.

»www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/12/2···6868.htm

reply to iansltx

reply to jmn1207
I'm familiar with 10GPON, however unless Verizon (or whoever else) actually takes advantage of the platform you're not getting anything that cable can't deliver.

reply to joebarnhart

said by joebarnhart:

said by iansltx:

If they indeed do high upload speeds like that then fiber providers will have to amp up their game in response, which is always a good thing.

Yeah! What HE said!

reply to jmn1207
True, however Verizon isn't even close to tapping current GPON designs, and with the development of upstream bonding Comcast could offer more upload speed than FiOS based on current oversubscription ratios in use by Comcast.

I agree on the "could" basis, however we're talking about "is" here. Comcast has said they're going to launch 100 Mbps to 20% of their markets by the end of the year. They've also been noising about 250Mbit service. Verizon has promised neither of these things.

You might have a Bugatti Veyron but if you're driving at 80 mph and your friend's Corvette is going at 100, it's gonna win the race.

Verizon has clearly stated on numerous occasions that they do not consider these proposed speeds, or even the 101/15 package currently offered by Cablevision, to be any legitimate threat to their subscriber base. If this proves to be incorrect, Verizon will have to rethink their strategy with regards to available tiers.

Without the assistance of their wireless business, Verizon's FiOS would not have the resources available to compete with Comcast. They are not about to recklessly move forward and immediately react to every new proposal rumored about by their competition. If Comcast creates a new tier that is significantly faster than what is currently offered by FiOS, unless it has a great impact on a certain number of subscribers, I doubt Verizon will have any need to react.

Heck, just within their own 2.5 millions FiOS customers, Verizon has discovered that very few of them are opting for the faster speeds. I don't expect Verizon to make any moves until they have a legitimate concern. They are currently testing 100/100 service using their employees, and it's working fine. Perhaps they will play this hand if it becomes necessary, but don't expect them to do or say anything until they feel their own product cannot compete anymore.

My point exactly. It doesn't matter if you have gigabit to the home if your provider deems anything above 50M unnecessary.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take 35/35 over 100/15. However Verizon is't taking advantage of their new infrastructure to kill the competition flat-out. Cablevision and Comcast on the other hand are pushing the limits of DOCSIS 3 and offering some pretty nice tiers, albeit low on the upload side. Whe they introduce upstream channel bonding the upstream problem will be solved and Verizon really will have to find some other way to differentiate its services.

That's not to say that other providers haven't gotten the idea; providers offering high symmetric speeds are relatively common, particularly among munis, and people are a whole lot less likely to switch from 50 Mbps symmetric than they are from, say, 25/25 or 15/5.