broadband

Services
November 22, 2010
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New Verizon FiOS offering boasts ‘fastest mass-market broadband service in the nation’

By on November 22, 2010 at 11:45 AM.

New Verizon FiOS offering boasts ‘fastest mass-market broadband service in the nation’

If you’re a Verizon FiOS residential broadband customer, with a need for Internet speed, listen up. Big Red has just announced a new plan that boasts some ridiculously fast, lust-worthy uplink and downlink speeds. How fast you ask? How about 150Mbps down and 35Mbps up.

“With a downstream speed of 150 Mbps, consumers can download a two-hour, standard-definition movie (1.5 gigabytes) in less than 80 seconds, and a two-hour HD movie (5 GB) in less than four and a half minutes,” quips the press release.

“The 150/35 Mbps residential offer will be available to the majority of FiOS-eligible households, and sold as a stand-alone service starting at $194.99 a month when purchased with a one-year service agreement and Verizon wireline voice service.”

As you can see, the new service does not come cheap, but if you can afford, justify, or write-off the new hotness, we recommend giving Verizon a call and ordering the high-test connection. The press release is awaiting your scrutiny after the break. More →

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Services
October 21, 2010
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Google to build ultra high-speed broadband network at Stanford

By on October 21, 2010 at 1:20 PM.

Google to build ultra high-speed broadband network at Stanford

This isn’t the first time Google has discussed its intentions to build out a ridiculously fast 1Gbps broadband network, but it looks like its ultra high-speed efforts are finally set to materialize. The Internet giant announced Thursday that it reached an agreement with Stanford University to build an experimental network for approximately 850 homes on the campus’ Residential Subdivision. Google plans to begin building the broadband network early next year. Stanford’s upcoming high speed network is clarified to be completely separate from the “Fiber for Communities” project Google announced earlier this year. While Google’s community effort is still in the planning stages, it looks as though Stanford will be the company’s opportunity to show the world what a 1Gbps residential network can do. The next due date for Stanford University’s early action admissions is November 15th, so you’ll have plenty of time to get in good with faculty living in the school’s Residential Subdivision before Google-net is built out. More →

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Rumor
August 24, 2010
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Current Analysis: Verizon launching $80, 5 GB prepaid mobile broadband plan

By on August 24, 2010 at 9:30 PM.

Current Analysis: Verizon launching $80, 5 GB prepaid mobile broadband plan

FierceWireless is reporting that Verizon Wireless will unveil a prepaid $80 per month 5 GB mobile broadband data plan in the coming months. The plan will complement the company’s current prepaid broadband plans which are $15/day for 75 MB, $30/week for 250 MB, and $50/month for 500 MB. The reported plan, as Current Analysis analyst Deepa Karthikeyan writes, “offers contract-phobic, high-end users with a viable option.” Given Virgin Mobile’s announcement this morning, would you pay double for Verizon’s network?

UPDATE: The new prepaid plans can be found here. The available plans are now: 100 MB (1 day) $15, 300 MB (7 days) $30, 1 GB (30 days) $50, and 5 GB (30 days) $80. Thanks to everyone who sent this in. More →

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General
August 24, 2010
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Virgin Mobile USA officially launches $40 unlimited, prepaid mobile broadband plan

By on August 24, 2010 at 8:36 AM.

Virgin Mobile USA officially launches $40 unlimited, prepaid mobile broadband plan

Today, Virgin Mobile USA announced that it would do away with its currently tiered $20, $40, and $60 prepaid mobile broadband plans and replace them with a prepaid, unlimited, $40 per month offering. Via a press release, Virgin wrote: “A recent study from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the self-employed and independent workers represent approximately 30% of the nation’s workforce. The study determined that this segment of the self-employed population, consisting mainly of small business owners and freelancers, represents a large market of consumers who need to stay connected, mainly with email and internet browsing, without the constraints of a contract.” Virgin also noted it would offer a $10 per month, 100 MB plan for those users who need connectivity infrequently. Virgin currently offers an Ovation USB data-stick priced at $79.99 and a MiFi 2200 device priced at $149.99. What do you think? Prepaid, as you need it, mobile broadband. Any takers? More →

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Internet
August 19, 2010
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U.S. residential broadband speeds average 50% of advertised speeds

By on August 19, 2010 at 3:33 AM.

U.S. residential broadband speeds average 50% of advertised speeds

The megabit wars are pretty comical on both the residential and wireless broadband fronts. Companies promise internet speeds “up to” a certain number of megabits and label their network technologies with catchy phrases like “power boost.” Recent news stories that come to mind include: a report that WiMax 2 would provide speeds up to 100 Mbps, Verizon has achieved nearly 1 Gbps with a residential FiOS deployment, and T-Mobile is rapidly expanding its 4G-ish HSPA+ network at up to 21 Mbps. All the speeds boasted are usually preempted by the words “peak” or “theoretical” making them, like that 35 mpg highway rating on your Cadillac Escalade, unlikely.

Thanks to the FCC, and data from comScore and Akamai, these megabit myths (on the residential broadband side0 have been governmentally confirmed. The FCC concluded that, “the median actual speed consumers experienced in the first half of 2009 was roughly 3 Mbps, while the average (mean) actual speed was approximately 4 Mbps.” Contrast this with the average advertised download speed of 6.7 Mbps in that same period,and you can see there is a bit of an actual speed deficit. The FCC concluded that when you look at the actual speeds consumers are experiencing they are far slower than the speeds they are promised in advertising. As Ars Technica reports, the FCC findings recommend that “a standard truth-in-labeling form should be drafted by the FCC,” in order to make broadband speeds clearer. Sort of like those super-accurate MPG stickers on new cars.

We want to know: what is your ISP, what speeds were you promised, and what are your actual speeds? Do you think a broadband report card is a good idea? More →

63 Comments
Internet
July 23, 2010
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FCC redefines broadband, 14-24 million Americans still without access

By on July 23, 2010 at 12:17 AM.

FCC redefines broadband, 14-24 million Americans still without access

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In a press release dated July 20th, the FCC announced that between 14 and 24 million Americans are still without access to broadband internet, and that the “immediate prospects for deployment to them are bleak.” The report also goes on to define “broadband” as a connection that provides a 4 Mbps downlink and 1 Mbps uplink. Prior to the report, broadband was defined as providing a 768 Kbps downlink connection. The report goes on: “In an era when broadband has become essential for U.S. jobs, economic growth, global competitiveness, and democratic engagement, millions of Americans live in areas without broadband. Many of these Americans are poor or live in rural areas that will remain unserved without reform of the universal service program and other changes to U.S. broadband policy that spur investment in broadband networks by lowering the cost of deployment.” What do you think? Is 4 Mbps an acceptable speed? Should the government push telecoms to provide broadband access to more rural areas?

Thanks, Henry! More →

30 Comments
General
July 22, 2010
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The big winner in the wireless data wars is Sprint/Clearwire

By on July 22, 2010 at 6:21 PM.

The big winner in the wireless data wars is Sprint/Clearwire

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With the #1 and #2 wireless carriers scrambling to beef up their network and limit data usage by instituting tiered data plans, Sprint/Clearwire is sitting pretty on to a treasure trove of 100-120 MHz of spectrum across much of its coverage area. In this dawning age of data hungry devices, Sprint/Clearwire has three to four times the spectrum resources of its closest, upcoming competitor Verizon Wireless and could theoretically build out a network capable of supporting 540Mbps of capacity per cell. With all that available capacity, Sprint/Clearwire is in a prime position to buck the the trend of tiering data and offer a competively priced, unlimited data plan that provides consumers with the best price per bit. If given a choice, what would you chose – unlimited WiMax/LTE data from Sprint or capped LTE data from a competitor? More →

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Internet
July 1, 2010
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Broadband internet a legal right in Finland

By on July 1, 2010 at 5:48 PM.

Broadband internet a legal right in Finland

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Thanks to a new law that comes into effect today, every single citizen of Finland now has a legal right to a wired broadband connection with a minimum speed of 1Mbps. According to communication minister Suvi Linden, the reason for the law is due to the fact that “internet services are no longer just for entertainment” and that it is a necessary to have to live in their “information society.” In Finland, all but 4% of households currently have broadband connections. This, says the government, equates to about 4,000 households, all of which should be compliant with the new law in short order. And just in case you’re curious, no, the Finnish government isn’t going to go totally ape if people who benefit from this law get into piracy. According to Linden, the most the Finnish government will do if someone is illegally downloading copyrighted material is send them letters. More →

31 Comments
Gaming
June 17, 2010
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OnLive gaming service launches with a free one year subscription

By on June 17, 2010 at 11:45 PM.

OnLive gaming service launches with a free one year subscription

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OnLive, the much ballyhooed online gaming service, has finally made its official debut. Having been in beta and available for select users since September 2009, OnLive has begun activating new accounts for the general public As an incentive to garner interest and beef up subscriber numbers, gamers who sign up between now July 15th will receive one free year of service, after which the cost will be $4.95 per month. Beta testers will receive the same subscription offer with a free game thrown in as a bonus. Before you jump for joy over a year of free gaming, this free one year offer is for the monthly subscription only and does not include the cost of games which will range from $5 to $55. Launch titles include Assassin’s Creed 2, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Mass Effect 2, NBA 2K10, DiRT 2, and more. If you have an Intel Mac or a Windows PC with a broadband Internet connection, then head on over to OnLive and sign up for the free trial. What do you have to lose except for precious time lost with loved ones due to non-stop, console-free online gaming? More →

10 Comments
General
June 17, 2010
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AT&T to count 3G MicroCell usage against customer's data caps

By on June 17, 2010 at 5:47 PM.

AT&T to count 3G MicroCell usage against customer's data caps

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AT&T may want to be the darling of the US wireless carriers, but some of its policies are seemingly designed to turn a customer into an enemy and not an ally. Such is the case with its 3G MicroCell which is promoted as being a solution for those with cellular coverage issues. For those unaware, the 3G Microcell is a hardware device that lets customers use their broadband Internet connection to make and receive phone calls and, in the case of AT&T’s 3G-enabled MicroCell, to utilize the 3G data capabilities of their phone. On the surface, this sounds like a win-win solution with customers receiving solid 3G cellular coverage and AT&T offering a solution for customers with coverage issues. Unfortunately, AT&T seems destined to shoot itself in its foot by instituting a data usage policy that counts data used through the MicroCell against your cellular data allotment. Seems a bit counter-intuitive that AT&T is charging for data used through the MicroCell when the bulk of the data transmission is carried by your broadband Internet provider, no? More →

164 Comments
General
May 26, 2010
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US lags behind world in broadband speeds

By on May 26, 2010 at 7:12 PM.

US lags behind world in broadband speeds

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According to Net Index, a new website operated by Seattle-based Ookla (the people behind Speedtest.net), the United States is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to wired broadband speeds. Based on user test info generated over the past 30 days, Net Index ranked the US 26th in the world for downlink speeds with an average downlink speed of 10.16Mbps. Such speeds might not seem all that bad at first glance, but considering that the global average is 7.67Mbps, it’s clear that US ISPs have a lot of ground to make up. South Korea finished first with an average of 34.14Mbps, followed by Latvia, the Republic of Moldova, and Japan at 24.29, 21.37 and 20.39Mbps respectively.

Moving to uplink speeds, South Korea once again led the pack with an average of 18.04Mbps while the US’s 2.21Mbps was barely above the world average of 2.10Mbps. In an attempt to keep things as even as possible, Net Index only counted results from nations in which tests were taken from at least 75,000 unique IP addresses. And though the results are by no means scientific, they will no doubt provide a lot of talking points for those currently engaged in the ongoing battle between advocates of net neutrality and ISPs whose interests are best served by imposing caps on data speeds and usage Results from colleges and businesses were excluded from the results.

[Via Computerworld] More →

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General
May 14, 2010
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Verizon Wireless looking at rural carriers for 4G expansion

By on May 14, 2010 at 2:02 AM.

Verizon Wireless looking at rural carriers for 4G expansion

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdams confirmed that the wireless carrier is considering rural carriers as a means of expanding its 4G network. Under this plan, Verizon Wireless would license its 4G spectrum for a small fee to rural operators who could then re-sell the service. Either Verizon or the operator would assume the cost of building out the network and each would benefit from the agreement – Verizon would get a wider 4G footprint and the rural carrier would receive local mobile broadband coverage and a roaming agreement for coverage outside of its home network. Folks with more deer than people should not jump for joy quite yet as McAdams confirms that this is a low profit initiative for Verizon and, as such, may take a while to roll out. Nonetheless, those whose only option for broadband is still 56K dial up would agree that late is better than never.

Read

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CES
January 5, 2010
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Cradlepoint to introduce two new personal 4G routers at CES, enterprise broadband adapter available now

By on January 5, 2010 at 6:21 PM.

Cradlepoint to introduce two new personal 4G routers at CES, enterprise broadband adapter available now

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Cradlepoint, long-time manufacturer of cellular routers, is set to unveil two new 3G/4G combo routers at CES 2010 next week including a pocket-sized portable router and a larger home and office router. The portable router allows you to share a single 4G WiMAX connection with multiple devices via Wi-Fi and will even feature Wi-Fi 802.11n with VPN, WPA, and WEP for security. Better yet? It will support 16 simultaneous Wi-Fi-connected devices, a USB port for “legacy” 3G modems, and a run time of 4 hours. The home and office router is similarly spec’d and will include a single WAN port, four LAN ports, a USB port for 3G modems, Wi-Fi with VPN, WPA, and WEP for security, support for 16 simultaneous users/devices, and a backup wired connection if a wireless connection is no longer available. Cradlepoint also announced the immediate availability of  the CBA750, an enterprise wireless broadband adapter that will bring a 3G/4G connection into any enterprise environment. The broadband adapter will support 3G/4G USB and ExpressCard modems and will utilize existing CAT5 cabling to deliver wireless broadband internet connectivity to an entire company. The CBA750 is available now from Cradlepoint with a MSRP of $249. Both press releases are after the jump, too.

More →

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