Fios, Verizon’s fiber-optic-based internet access service, has come under fire for their practice of data caps.
Fios normally provides download speeds around 300Mbps (theoretical max) and upload speeds around 65Mbps (theoretical max). If you use over 100GB of data in a month, Fios will charge you an additional $10 for each 50GB over the limit.
The way that Verizon implements this cap is also controversial, as they have implemented it in a way that treats all data coming from the same source(s) equally. This means that if one person is watching Netflix while another watches Hulu while another downloads games, all of that data is counted equally, rather than by individual source.
Verizon claims that they put this cap in place primarily to prevent people from hogging all the bandwidth with massive amounts of torrenting or large streaming video sites like Netflix. The fact that their implementation treats all data equally is important, as it means that it is not a bandwidth cap.
How To Get Fios Internet Service:
Generally, you can sign up for Fios through Verizon’s website. If the address is served by their fiber-optic network, they will let you know when someone becomes available in your neighborhood. The installation appointment will be scheduled about a week out, at which point an installer will come to your home to install the necessary equipment.
As with most services, Fios offers multiple packages of internet service at different speeds and prices. These are generally available in tiers of 25/25Mbps, 50/20Mbps, 150/35Mbps, 300/65Mbps, 500/100Mbps, Gigabit (1000+100Mbps), and the symmetrical FiOS Gigabit (1000/1000Mbps). Prices range from $40-$300 per month, with the most common being around $100. For More Internet Services Visit Here https://www.charterspeedtest.info/fios-speed-test/
What Are The Benefits Of Fios:
- Fios offers blazing fast speeds (provided you can get it in your area). Their “Gigabit” internet service is the fastest residential speed available, and their other tiers are pretty competitive with cable as well.
- Verizon has traditionally had better customer support than other ISPs due to their extensive experience servicing customers.
- The symmetrical Gigabit service is unique to Fios, and allows for upload speeds just as fast as download speeds.
- FiOS provides symmetrical speeds (equal up/down), which helps reduce latency when gaming or performing other activities that require both high upload and download speed at the same time.
- The data cap allows Verizon to offer much faster internet in exchange for a reasonable price.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Fios:
- Not available in all areas, even though they have been expanding. You can check if FiOS is available in your area here .
The implementation of data caps has also become controversial due to their treatment of all data sources equally rather than by individual source. For example, Netflix takes up approximately 1GB per hour for HD quality video, whereas games like League of Legends (with no streaming) take up around 10MB per hour. This means that someone who uses their connection primarily for gaming would be much more affected by the data cap than someone who mostly watches Netflix.
- Some users complain about the price increase beyond the base tier. Most other ISPs offer much cheaper prices for their slower speeds than Verizon offers, although Verizon tends to have better customer service and slightly faster speeds overall.
- Similar to other ISPs, Fios is also susceptible to traffic shaping or throttling depending on issues that arise at their peering points with online content providers such as Steam, Amazon Video, etc…
Is It Worth To Switch Fios For Faster Download Speed Than Cable:
In short, this probably isn’t worth it unless you really want better upload speeds and symmetrical internet. Even though Verizon is usually a little bit more reliable than cable companies, the price differences are very small due to their relatively similar speeds. Also, many cable companies have had issues in the past with network congestion causing traffic shaping or throttling at peak hours even on non-Fios users. Overall, Fios isn’t necessarily better than cable when it comes to raw speed and reliability over time.