| Verizon FiOS is the nation's largest consumer | | | | over 20,000 shows available via On Demand. |
| grade fiber optic provider, but most people have | | | | Some cable companies and DSL providers have |
| no idea what that means. As a result, many | | | | schedules for their On Demand offerings but FiOS |
| people have no idea why they should choose | | | | is truly "on demand." The same holds true for |
| Verizon FiOS over a rival cable service or DSL | | | | DVR, though AT&T's U-verse system uses a |
| service. After all, the services all seem similar on | | | | DSL system to deliver a unique DVR trick that |
| the surface: | | | | FiOS cannot match: AT&T U-verse customers |
| - Digitally delivered television programming. | | | | can actually pause a show on one device (TV, |
| - On Demand. | | | | Xbox, computer, handheld, etc...) and then move it |
| - DVR. | | | | to another box whenever they want so long as |
| - VoIP phones. | | | | that device supports U-verse. |
| - Broadband. | | | | - VoIP technology is essentially VoIP technology |
| All three services can put checkmarks in each of | | | | and thus there are not real victories to be had |
| those categories, but looking a little deeper shows | | | | here, but broadband is a different story. The |
| why Verizon FiOS is so desirable. It doesn't hurt | | | | fastest cable modems and DSL systems in the |
| that some of the Verizon FiOS deals are | | | | country are pushing 30 or so Mbps to consumer |
| incomparable, but we'll get to that in a minute. | | | | properties, but FiOS is already managing 50 Mbps |
| Here's how FiOS fares: | | | | and has been recently tested at nearly 1000 |
| - In the TV department, Verizon's fiber optic | | | | Mbps! |
| service consistently leads in terms of overall | | | | When it comes to price, FiOS competes with |
| number of channels, number of HD channels, | | | | budget and midrange deals from DSL providers |
| percentage of HD channels at higher resolutions | | | | and cable companies around the nation. On top of |
| (Come on guys, 480 is barely HD!), and 3D | | | | that, Verizon FiOS deals for consumers that buy |
| channels. | | | | more than one service are nearly unmatched, |
| - On Demand is another area where Verizon FiOS | | | | especially at the high end. |
| dominates. As of August 2010, Verizon FiOS has | | | | |