Verizon FiOS → Re: Any plans for fios to offer faster speeds?

IPTV wasn't abandoned at all. Even if traditional bundled TV is falling out of style, going IP means you can offer better flexibility and sell service across a wider market, since it's no longer tied to physical infrastructure and fixed function hardware.

DirecTV for example is doubling down on their streaming platform, even though they are no longer under AT&T. Once their satellites age out (around 2026?) are they going to launch new multi-million capacity limited satellites or are they going to push forward with over the top streaming? From a cost perspective, the streaming wins, and as a medium is far more flexible for future improvement.

My local Cable Company, Spectrum, has also been doubling down on streaming. They encourage people to use streaming for their extra TVs rather than use extra cable boxes. They will even let you buy an Apple TV and finance it through your Cable bill. In their Fiber-only areas, they don't sell RFoG TV but instead require you to use their streaming platform if you buy TV. They are also pushing Cloud DVR now, which is IP.

AT&T areas are the same deal. U-Verse is IP-based. The ONTs for AT&T are extremely simple devices, and very small to boot. The AT&T router handles the VLAN and Authentication information for the U-Verse TV to work, and in theory, AT&T is set to do a lot more with that infrastructure.

Parts of FiOS TV are already IP based. For example FiOS TV One pushes the whole IP Server/Client aspect harder. On Demand is already IP. Going with Legacy QAM was mostly to stay compatible with pay TV demands of the time - connecting TVs directly to Coax, using Cable Card, and for using standardized Set Top Box SKUs out on the market. Streaming devices back then were extremely limited in availability.

IPTV or, Digitally delivered TV was also experimented with back in the 1980s, with Stinger ASAMs and Apple Interactive TV.

They're referring to a specific Fios IPTV system which was only ever available in beta to a small percentage of customers, and was indeed abandoned.

Right.

I think people are mixing up IPTV with "an entirely new viewing platform" ... I suspect that's a mistake.

My guess (and again, just a guess) is that they'll move to an IP-based delivery system to either the existing hardware (which can support IP transport), or similar hardware, with a similar user interface.

Basically, what we know today as Fios TV, but using IP instead of QAM channels.

If I were a bet maker, that's what I'd guess.