Although they've just begun to be noticed by the population at large, Verizon FiOS is the new kid on the block which may be the next big competition for cable. FiOS is competiting with all three of the big "triple play" services - phone, TV and Internet service.

Verizon FiOS, a new project for communications giant Verizon Communications, has a project that's been steadily attracting customers for the last year. It utilizes completely fiber-optic transmissions for fast and reliable service, backed by what is still the United States' largest network. In addition to new digital phone service, FiOS also provides Internet service that's faster than cable and digital TV service, too. Eventually, FiOS will replace Verizon's existing network.

As of January 2009, Verizon said that it was going to spend $20 billion over the next several years to build a fiber-optic network direct to customers' houses. This network, called FiOS, should be available to 60 to 70% of its current customer base at the end of that time.

Verizon has 375,000 FiOS customers, about 12% of its current available market. At present, about 3 million customers (businesses and homes, both) can get FiOS service. Internet service for FiOS is up, too, with about 111,000 customers to date.

Verizon calls FiOS its best hope to beat cable companies, who have relatively recently jumped on board with phone service, too, as a means to beat traditional telecommunications services. And because cable also includes television and Internet access with this new phone service, Verizon has had to scramble to catch up and is now reestablishing its competitive edge.

Competitors have noticed Verizon's push for FiOS, too. Although Verizon's traditional phone service has dropped significantly in the last several years because of a decrease in landline service and an increase in cell phone service, as well as increased subscription to voice over Internet protocol, FiOS is looking to be its ticket back to the big time.

Because cable companies are increasingly offering so-called "triple play" services (phone, cable, and Internet access), Verizon has jumped on board with FiOS TV service, in addition to its previously offered phone and Internet access. In its first six months, it has captured about 10% of the available market.

In the fourth quarter of 2007, Verizon posted $23.8 billion in revenues, up 5.5%. This bodes well for its recovery. In the fourth quarter of 2008 alone, it signed 226,000 new FiOS TV customers, with 943,000 total FiOS TV customers by year's end. It also picked up 245,000 FiOS Internet customers versus this time last year.

What's included in Verizon FiOS TV programming?

Verizon FiOS TV plans start at about $50 a month for up to 295 channels, including local channels, highly demanded "upper echelon" channels such as Discovery, TNT, CNN, and ESPN, 14,000 titles of "on-demand" programming, much of which is available at no charge, and with nearly 100 music channels available besides. In addition, the incredible picture and crisp audio are strong benefits for new users to the FiOS world.

FiOS is also running a promotion that gives new customers free DVR service for 6 months. Verizon continues to expand their service across America in 2009.


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The number of households in the US with Internet connections has skyrocketed in the last few years. It is almost impossible to find a home in America that does not have at least a dial up connection. In fact, the number of people adopting Internet technology has outstripped the ability of many broadband companies to provide coverage. For instance, for those who live in rural or outlying areas even a few miles from urban centers, DSL and cable connections are not available. They must rely on dial up connections if they want to connect to the Internet.

Thankfully, this problem has been addressed and new options are available. No, the cable companies have not suddenly decided to extend coverage to these areas. No, the phone company has not brought high-speed DSL to these areas, either. The new access is thanks to satellite providers. Most customers in these areas have used satellite providers for their TV watching enjoyment for years. Today, those same providers have developed broadband Internet access that goes where other technologies fear to tread, namely into rural and outlying areas. Because cable companies will not extend coverage to an area if the population base does not meet their requirements and phone companies cannot afford to provide DSL coverage in these areas, satellite Internet is the uncontested champion.

How doe satellite Internet work? What speeds does it offer? Is it truly better than dial up? Let's tackle the last question first. Satellite Internet is tremendously better than dial up connections; in fact, there is no comparison. Satellite Internet is a broadband connection, which means that it is always on; there is no lengthy dialing in process, no wait for connection and account authentication and your downloads move along at a tremendous rate. That brings us to the question of speed: satellite Internet provides speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps, which allows you to download files in a fraction of the time that dial up entails.

Finally, satellite Internet access works in much the same way as satellite TV programming. You will need a satellite dish from your provider, as well as a special modem that connects your PC or laptop to the dish. The Internet signal is transmitted from a ground station to an orbiting satellite and then from the satellite down to your dish via spotter beams. From the dish, the signal then travels to the modem and then to your computer; there are no phone lines involved in the equation. You get blazing speed, a constant connection and no need to tie up the phone line. Are there any drawbacks to using satellite Internet? Actually, there are no drawbacks to the technology, other than the chance that you will begin spending more time online!

Satellite Internet access provides anyone in North America with a constant connection to the World Wide Web. Because the satellites used to transmit the signal orbit the equator, all you need is a clear view of the southern skies. This ensures that anyone, whether in a rural area or an urban area, can have the Internet connection that they need.



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Satellite broadband Internet access is one of the fastest connections available to consumers. The speed is simply incredible. When you have this much Internet speed, however, there are some things to keep in mind to make certain the experience is the best it can be.

Fast Internet means fast downloads. Of course, this carries with it the temptation to download just about everything under the sun. The rules of safe surfing apply more than ever to those with fast connections. First, you must have anti-virus software and a firewall attached to your computer. Many viruses turn infected PC's into "zombies" that spew the virus with which they're infected all over the Internet. This will not only spread the infection, it will eat up all your bandwidth as your computer will be constantly connecting to virus servers. When your Internet provider finds out what's going on, it will also get your connection shut off, in most cases. Make sure you have, and understand how to use, anti-virus software. Your firewall will prevent your computer from hooking up to certain "services" but this in and of itself is not anti-virus software. Remember, you need both.

Your connection speed will slow if there are a great many users on your connection at the same time, especially if they're all using high-bandwidth features. If your connection seems slow, check to see how many people are online before calling tech support. If you, the kids and their friends are all using video sharing sites, playing video games and streaming music at the same time, it will affect your connection speed.

Sometimes Internet connectivity will be reduced, or simply go out, intermittently. Most of the time, this can be fixed by "rebooting" the modem. This procedure is very simple: Just cut the power to the modem for 30 seconds and plug it back in. You'll be surprised how many problems can be fixed this way. It's not a hardware or a connection flaw; it's just the way the Internet works.

Unfortunately, the Internet suffers from a lot of piracy of video and audio material. Remember that, even though you can download just about anything in minutes, it may not be legal to do so. The good news is that there are a huge number of sites that allow downloads for free which are entirely legal. Learn about which ones are okay and which ones to avoid. The pirate sites are often virtual Petri dishes for viruses, so it makes sense to stay away from them as much as possible.

Also make sure to install any updates of which your computer notifies you. These updates frequently have to do with security and security is imperative for broadband users. Because your connection is so fast, it won't take but a few minutes to download the necessary software for the updates and the benefit is that your computer will be protected against the latest threats. Satellite broadband not only makes surfing easy; it makes security easy, as well.


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