As many FiOS customers will tell you, Verizon's fiber to the home service is blisteringly fast and technically sound, but often suffers from support and billing problems. As part of their continuing effort to try and resolve this, Verizon tells us they're overhauling some online support functionality, with a new online tool that "leverages the Verizon in-home network and the advanced FiOS platform to automate help and problem solving issues without a phone call," Verizon's James Smith tells us.

"The new Verizon In-Home Agent uses the same back office automation and help scripts a live representative uses to assist customers," says James.

"The broadband home router is a managed device, allowing us to use it to make adjustments to network configuration, PC configuration, service profiles ectcetera -- on devices attached to it -- including the PC and set-top boxes," he adds.

Verizon's added a YouTube video demonstration for those who are interested.

While the new system won't fix those phantom Verizon FiOS billing problems many Verizon users experience, it should help less technical customers resolve some fairly basic issues (setting up Wi-Fi, e-mail or home voice mail, resetting set-top boxes, reconfiguring or restarting routers) without having to wait through a phone queue. Verizon customers who give the new system a try should drop us a line and let us know how it works.