NuVu might not have the fastest fiber optic broadband connections available, but they certainly know how to use their systems to good effect. Not only does NuVu offer fairly fast fiber-optic broadband services, the company also delivers IPTV-based digital cable and digital telephone services over a fiber optic connection. The bad news is that NuVu does not offer world-class fiber optic speed, at least not yet. Part of that might be the allocation of bandwidth to data-intensive tasks such as IPTV and, to a lesser degree, VoIP technology.
UTOPIA NET Connecting Utah With Fiber
UTOPIA is a network based in Utah and connects 16 diverse cities in the state that would otherwise be underserved by broadband, cable, and telecom providers. UTOPIA Net does not just stop there, it actually has taken on the challenge of building a world-class fiber optic network to serve consumers who live in a geographically challenging area. After all, who would want to be laying cable in the ruggedly beautiful mountains and passes of Utah if there were any other jobs available? This kind of dedication costs money, and UTOPIA Net has funneled a lot of money into making their network one that is second to none.
Big Metal Fighting Progress in Louisiana
It is no secret that broadband service providers have traditionally talked out of both sides of their mouths, using terms like blazing fast or ultra-quick while selling services that delivered data via copper wires. The future is fiber, and fiber is already being piped to residences and businesses all over the country. So, why is it then that LUSFIBER is beset on all sides by what appears to be political shenanigans that one could only assume are being perpetrated by big metal. Before covering those problems, it is worth taking a look at LUSFIBER and what they have to offer.
Who is Winning the Google Fiber Race?
[Updated Daily]
Update Nov 2015: In the years since tracking the deployment of Google Fiber, Google has decided to continue to expand to more and more new cities. You can see their expansion plans on this page: https://fiber.google.com/newcities/. Additionally, there may be a chance that Municipal fiber may be on it’s way to your city.
Update Aug 2011: So as you may have heard Google selected Kansas City, Kansas for the initial deployment of its fiber gigabit service. For all the other towns vying for fiber, don’t give up, they may expand to more cities in the future depending on how the first deployment goes. In the meantime, if you’re lucky enough to be in area where Fios (from Verizon) is available, http://www.defefx.com/fios-deals/ shows how you can save the most on Verizon’s fiber service.
5 Reasons Why Fiber is the Way of the Future
With all of the talk about fiber floating around the Internet, especially in relationship to Google’s gigabit broadband service, many might be wondering just why fiber optics are so important. That is certainly a fair enough question to ponder, and the truth is that fiber optics have many advantages to offer customers and network architects alike. Before covering these individual benefits, it might be worth taking a step back and looking at the fundamental differences between traditional metal wires and fiber optics.
Verizon Initial Fios Deployment Nearing Completion
It is no secret that Verizon’s Fios service is simply impressive, offering incredible bandwidth and digital services that use that bandwidth to great effect. Digital television services, digital telephone services, and amazingly fast broadband data plans all powered by a 100% backbone to door fiber optic network make Fios an attractive offering, and differentiates them from a market full of XDSL and DOCSIS based competitors. The use of fiber optics has required Verizon to expand their Fios network carefully, and the first phase of that deployment is coming to an end. As with all endings, there are both good and bad aspects to be considered.
How is AT&T U-verse different from Verizon Fios?
AT&T U-verse and Verizon Fios are the next generation of television, telecommunications, and high-speed internet providers. They use very similar technology to provide customers with a feature rich multimedia TV, telephone, and internet experience. They are very similar, but AT&T and Verizon are using different business tactics and technology to woo customers from cable and satellite providers.
Technology
Verizon has decided to deploy fiber optic connections directly to subscriber homes. This is called fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). Deploying FTTP connectivity for residential customers is very expensive, and laying fiber from Verizon’s existing equipment to the individual residences is very time consuming. Since Verizon is not making use of the existing copper wiring between their field equipment and the residence, they will lose a lot of time laying fiber connections, and it will take an extremely long time for a widespread roll-out of Fios.
AT&T has decided to make use of their existing fiber optic infrastructure and the existing copper wiring between their field equipment and the residence, which is known as fiber-to-the-node (FTTN). This results in a much quicker deployment time, much lower cost for consumers, and much lower initial out-of-pocket costs from AT&T’s coffers. AT&T also has the option of switching from FTTN to FTTP once the overall need for additional bandwidth rises, and AT&T can reinvest funds from existing customers to use for future upgrades. Continue Reading
Why Your Internet Speed Test Might be Lying to You
Every year, more and more Americans subscribe to high-speed internet access from their cable and telecommunications providers. Our individual bandwidth consumption needs grow every year as people turn to the internet for work, school, and entertainment. BitTorrent downloads, Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) telephony, streaming video, and multimedia downloads contribute to an exponential growth in bandwidth usage.
While the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have gone out of their way to increase subscribership, they have done a poor job of providing additional network infrastructure and bandwidth to their clients. In environments where bandwidth is shared, like a cable internet network, a very small pool of users are consuming a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. This results in slow connection speeds for the entire community during peak usage times. The ISPs are starting to take steps to minimize the connectivity degradation, but their methods are not in the best interest of the consumer.
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U-Verse Installation Guide
At one time, cable TV ruled with an iron fist over the paid TV industry. With satellite TV being expensive and geared toward the higher tax bracket, cable was all the average consumer had to work with. Over the years however, technology evolved and the price on satellite TV has dropped significantly, labeling services such as Dish Network and DirecTV a major threat to the mighty cable kings. Today, viewers have even more options to choose from and AT&T U-verse is one service that appears to be leading the charge for alternatives.
U-verse vs Cable TV
If you are not familiar with AT&T U-verse, you will be soon enough. Now available in more markets across the country, the service is generating a buzz and proving to be a worthy competitor to cable TV. In fact, AT&T claims that an estimated 60% of its customers are migrating from the cable competition in favor of its IP-based alternative. The company continued to ramp up its number of subscribers by adding a record 284,000 net customers in the first quarter of 2009. AT&T U-verse has been designed to rival cable in virtually every facet, offering bundles of services that include digital TV, high-speed internet and phone. U-Verse is certainly the talk of the paid TV market, but how does it really match up to cable? Let’s have a closer look.