AWESOME! Verizon’s FiOS service has now been proven to reach 1gbps in a real world setting. Pretty neat, isn’t it? Now if only Verizon would focus on making it available to more people. I’ve looked at the prices of FiOS in comparison to what I pay now with Charter, and I must say that FiOS is such a better deal and not only that, it has much better technology too. Why can’t Verizon realize that people want this? Oh well, maybe in the future once fiber becomes more common.

Source Ars Technica

What begins? The end of the internet as we know it! What’s going on? Google and Verizon are possibly working on a deal whereby companies can pay Verizon to give web surfers priority access to their content. However, don’t get scared yet because both companies said last year that they are committed to keeping the internet free and open, with no advantages for anyone. Not sure what would cause the change in tune. In addition, neither parties are willing to talk about it. We can’t let this happen. It would destroy the Internet. For more info on net neutrality, check out the Save The Internet campaign.

Source: Michael Moore and Politico

Pretty interesting little read here from Ars Technica. So, the FCC wants 4mbps broadband to be available nationwide by 2020 and have 100 million homes subscribed to 100mbps broadband. However, senators like Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) are wondering why the FCC isn’t being more ambitious with the plan’s minimum speed requirements. As Senator Inouye said:

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) proposes a goal of having 100 million homes subscribed at 100Mbps by 2020,” “while the leading nations already have 100Mbps fiber-based services at costs of $30 to $40 per month and beginning rollout of 1Gbps residential services, which the FCC suggests is required only for a single anchor institution in each community by 2020. This appears to suggest that the US should accept a 10- to 12-year lag behind the leading nations.”

“What is the FCC’s rationale for a vision that appears to be firmly rooted in the second tier of countries?”

I agree with the senator. The situation for internet in the US has really lagged behind the rest of the world in the past few years. For example: the fastest internet I can get where I live is 60mbps for like $120 or something per month. That’s good speed, but my biggest problem is the price of it. Why is it that internet access is so expensive in the US compared to the rest of the world? The US pays $8 per mpbs of bandwidth vs $1.98 in the UK or even $2.33 in Japan. Why is this? I maintain it’s the telcos and them lobbying congress to keep things the way they are so that they can raise prices while keeping the infrastructure shoddy and not reaching rural areas, all at the expense of consumers. And don’t even get me started on the telcos and their ridiculous opposition to net neutrality.

What I think should be done with broadband in the US is something similiar to the Interstate Highway System. The government would create the vision and the specs for the project and contract companies to make it. If we let the AT&Ts, Verizons, and Comcasts of this country build the backbone, you know they’ll cut corners where ever they can to save money. That can’t happen.