Verizon Fios
Verizon Fios is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service provided by Verizon Communications that operates over a fiber optical network within the United States.
"Verizon FiOS" and "FiOS" redirect here. For more on the service from Frontier Communications, see FiOS from Frontier. For other uses, see Fios (disambiguation).Company type
History[edit]
Early development (1995–1996)[edit]
The early stages of Fios began when Bell Atlantic (now Verizon Communications) was testing its video service "Stargazer" in 1995. This was the first commercial video on demand (VOD) service, which was tested for 1,000 homes in northern Virginia.[1] During this time there were talks of developing a fiber optic-based service. In 1996, VP of Programming Bob Townsend told the Baltimore Sun that Stargazer would be "folded into [Bell Atlantic's] deployment of fiber to the curb."[2]
Launch and expansion (2005–2010)[edit]
In September 2005, Verizon Communications began offering a fiber optic digital television service, which became available for 9,000 customers in Keller, Texas. Called Fios TV, the service aimed to replace copper wires with optical fibers.[3]
By 2006 Fios was offered in areas of seven US states.[4]
Stable footprint (2010–present)[edit]
Verizon announced in March 2010 that it was winding down its Fios expansion, concentrating on completing its network in areas that already had Fios franchises but were not deploying to new areas, which included the cities of Baltimore and Boston, which had not yet secured municipal franchise agreements.[5] Some viewed the halt in expansion as a violation of Verizon's agreements with some municipalities and states, since Verizon has collected revenue to deploy infrastructure upgrades that never occurred.[6] In New Jersey, Verizon collected an additional $15 billion in fees from customers and tax subsidies in exchange for promising fiber optic broadband for the whole state.[7] The New Jersey state government altered the deal in 2014 to allow Verizon to substitute wireless Internet access to fulfill its promise instead.[8] Critics pointed out that wireless Internet was slower and less reliable.[7]
Television[edit]
Fios TV is one of three services offered by Verizon Fios. Verizon offers Fios packages with high-definition and standard-definition TV, as well as video on demand.[9]
Fios TV uses QAM technology to deliver signals to a customer's property using its fiber optic cables.[10] At the home, the optical network terminal turns the signal into a radio frequency signal that can be used on a home's existing coaxial cables, feeding the signal to a set-top box (STB).[10]