AES wrote:
>> What has now been confirmed by calls to Verizon is that
>> - Once the fiber connection is established all services, including
>> voice, are moved to the fiber and the copper wires are pulled,
>> making it impossible to return to standard DSL in spite of the
>> supposed 30-day trial period.
>> - The lowest cost package for the fiber connection is 30% more
>> expensive than their standard DSL offering
>> - They will absolutely NOT allow connections to other ISP's over
>> the fiber connection, essentially limiting ISP's other than
>> MSN to dialup customers.
>> - The lowest-cost package from Verizon that will allow me to
>> continue to run my own servers and host my own domain (something
>> my local independent ISP actively supports) will cost $99/mo.
>> So, while the landscape today includes a diverse collection of local
>> and national ISP's with a range of services and cost options, the
>> future will be dialup at $10-15/month or Comcast or Verizon/MSN at
>> ~$50/mo. No more local businesses, no more local customer service, no
>> choice of services.
> If accurately described here (and I have no reason to think it isn't)
> this is absolutely criminal -- and probably entirely typical of what
> most or all "broadband to the premises" types services (copper, cable,
> fiber or wireless will try to impose on us).
Now hold on a second. I'm in Apple Valley, California, one of the
market areas where Verizon is rolling out FIOS (no ETA yet). $99 may
be the cheapest price for a connection where you can run servers, but
there ARE less expensive packages available that still give you lots
of speed.
So, I think we'd need to compare apples to apples where cost is
concerned. Many existing fiber and copper broadband providers don't
let you run servers on the cheap connections either.
I'm no fan of Verizon, but let's be fair ...
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But what the cableco will _claim_ is
> that the 'right of way' is not publicly owned; and telco will claim
> that municipal ownership of the right of way gives unfair competition
> to them in providing ISP services. Or so they will all claim. PAT]
Of course.
hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
> Only subscribers who sign up for FIOS will get fibre to their front
> door. It is rather expensive to run the fibre and terminal box
> (actually the terminal box is pricey) to your front door. The old
> phone loop won't go anywhere.
And you can insist that they not get rid of the copper pairs, too. I know
someone down in Florida who has done this.
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Steve Sobol (sjsobol@JustThe.net)