A thumb of the nose to Verizon

[tw]

Originally Posted by sycamore

I found out last week that I can't get DSL at the new crib...we're out of range.

The game is completely changed again within four years. Verison is installing direct fiber to every home. Plans to have it everywhere within four years. The service, called FIOS, has been first introduced this year. One fiber for everything - phone, internet, and even cable (like) service. Copper wire service is finally being obsoleted. Complete with backup power redundancy that cable does not provide.

Question remains not about the bottom ISO layers (hardware) but about service at the higher layers - commonly known as the ISP. Verison has had a few problems, previously, with ISP service. Granted, no where as near as bad as some ISPs, but still, their DSL reliability has not been as good as POTS phone service. And that is what we will soon expect from Verison & Comcast. And so a new market competition begins these next years. Finally, some competition for the last mile of service.

Comcast - less expensive, slower, and marginally less reliable hardware. Requires that you also have TV cable service.

Verison - faster, probably slightly more expensive, includes POTS type phone service, power backup system means slightly more reliable service, and will have (but not yet) cable TV type service.

Meanwhile, Qualcom third generation technology means that wireless should join the market within the next few years.