# FIOS in NY announces new push for 500k installs while Xfinity adds data charges



## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

Just read on Ars that Verizon FIOS is finally going to move toward building out their plant in New York city, probably not to the extent they originally agreed to years ago but some 500k addresses (by 2023) while Comcast Xfinity has announced data caps over the northeast that until now have been only applied in the rest of the country. 

Interestingly, I used to live within a FIOS plant out west that was built by Verizon but later has been sold off through at least three owners over the last 15 years, where both Verizon and subsequent operators refused to string fiber down my culdesac leaving us with either dsl or eventually Comcast when they bought out the local independent cableco and upgraded it to docsis3.0. 

At any rate, perhaps NYers who didn't get FIOS years ago may have a chance to again, I wonder what Comcast will respond with their data restrictions in the coming days/weeks/years. Will be interesting.

Btw, back years ago, completely surrounded by no data cap FIOS, the only way to get Comcast to lift the caps was to get business class service or stay with 3rd party dsl at 4mb/s (telco dsl had caps).


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

I find it odd Comcast expands data caps but AT&T increase the # of their plans that get Unlimited Data. In October anyone getting 100 Mbps or higher from AT&T now gets unlimited data lol. My small ISP (Armstrong) recently changed their Zoom plans to Zoom (150 Mbps), Zoom II (300 Mbps) and Zoom Extreme (depending on market anywhere from 500 Mbps to 1 Gig). Zoom Extreme has Unlimited Data. The market across the river (Huntington, WV) was one Comcast market that didn't initially have data caps imposed but will be getting the "generous" 1.2 TB cap on all plans.


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## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

The big change after the covid cap expired (that many have noted here) was that residential service cost with modem rental and (true) unlimited data dropped monthly rates down $40 (mine went from $120 to $80). I don't think it was largesse on their part, but wireless providers rolling out 'home internet' packages @ $50/month at the 100/40mbs level, and starlink starting beta at prices and speeds double the lte folks. I'm watching TMobile for when they turn up 'mid band' 2.5ghz in that price range. 

I suspect as soon as comcast sees the effect of competition that they will drop their tier rates some more.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

1948GG said:


> I suspect as soon as comcast sees the effect of competition that they will drop their tier rates some more.


I hope so. Work from home is leading to more data usage. Suspending the data caps earlier this year was a good thing - I keep hoping that as the second wave of the virus hit a second wave of compassion would come from Comcast. So far, not so much. I am not looking forward to paying for unlimited data when my data cap is exceeded. And unfortunately there is not effective competition at my home address.


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

1948GG said:


> I suspect as soon as comcast sees the effect of competition that they will drop their tier rates some more.


My ISP Armstrong merged their highest tiers (Zoom III for all areas, Zoom IV for non-fiber areas / Zoom Extreme for fiber areas) into a single Zoom Extreme tier and lowered the price due to increased competition in some of their areas.

Zoom IV used to be 500 Mbps with a 2 TB cap for $149.95 and Zoom Extreme was the 1Gbps tier with a 2 TB cap for $199.95. When they recently merged Zoom III and Zoom IV into Zoom Extreme they gave the new Zoom Extreme Unlimited Data at no extra cost and lowered the price to $109.95 which is equal or cheaper than having Zoom or Zoom II with the $35 Unlimited Data bolt-on.

The speed with Zoom Extreme varies depending on market type. Their Fiber markets get 1Gbps while their traditional cable/DOCSIS areas get 500+ Mbps. I usually average around 750 Mbps on the new Zoom Extreme.


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## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

What has always not made any sense to me, from way back when the only way to get unlimited on comcast was business class (unlimited in residential class didn't come in until about three years ago) is that unlimited is a single tier; use just a bit over the 1.2TB and pay the full rate, use 100TB (or 1000TB) and it's the same rate. I average 4-5TB a month with some 20-30mb/s (this on a 100/5 plan) on average. But I wish there was a, say, 20TB tier for half the price and let those with hyper needs pay the full rate. The 1.2TB point barely gives those with one streaming device and minimal pc/wifi needs just enough breathing space. 

Again, doesn't make sense. Unless one wants to simply overcharge everyone AND give business users a huge pass on mass usage, which is probably the reason why.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

One NICE thing about having Google Fiber - unlimited data at 500 / 500 mbps at $55/month (1Gbps service is available for $20/month more).

Last month 78191 Mbytes upload, 192972 Mbytes download.


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## compnurd (Apr 23, 2007)

techguy88 said:


> My ISP Armstrong merged their highest tiers (Zoom III for all areas, Zoom IV for non-fiber areas / Zoom Extreme for fiber areas) into a single Zoom Extreme tier and lowered the price due to increased competition in some of their areas.
> 
> Zoom IV used to be 500 Mbps with a 2 TB cap for $149.95 and Zoom Extreme was the 1Gbps tier with a 2 TB cap for $199.95. When they recently merged Zoom III and Zoom IV into Zoom Extreme they gave the new Zoom Extreme Unlimited Data at no extra cost and lowered the price to $109.95 which is equal or cheaper than having Zoom or Zoom II with the $35 Unlimited Data bolt-on.
> 
> The speed with Zoom Extreme varies depending on market type. Their Fiber markets get 1Gbps while their traditional cable/DOCSIS areas get 500+ Mbps. I usually average around 750 Mbps on the new Zoom Extreme.


The Old Zoom Extreme was always Unlimited Data.. It was the only one with it... I also get between 750 and 900Mbps with the new plan on Docsis 3.1 Depends on time of day and the speedtest server I select


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

compnurd said:


> The Old Zoom Extreme was always Unlimited Data.. It was the only one with it... I also get between 750 and 900Mbps with the new plan on Docsis 3.1 Depends on time of day and the speedtest server I select


Ah I had no idea my area just had Zoom Express - Zoom IV before they merged Zoom III & IV into Zoom Extreme. I just remember seeing the price for Zoom Extreme when I read their open Internet policy a while back.


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## compnurd (Apr 23, 2007)

techguy88 said:


> Ah I had no idea my area just had Zoom Express - Zoom IV before they merged Zoom III & IV into Zoom Extreme. I just remember seeing the price for Zoom Extreme when I read their open Internet policy a while back.


I bounced back and forth between zoom 2-3 going 3 for the last year when they went to the 2TB cap on that. Extreme was previously crazy priced otherwise I would have had that earlier When they first rolled out Extreme that was the only way to get a Docsis 3.1 non Puma 6 modem from them


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## techguy88 (Mar 19, 2015)

compnurd said:


> I bounced back and forth between zoom 2-3 going 3 for the last year when they went to the 2TB cap on that. Extreme was previously crazy priced otherwise I would have had that earlier When they first rolled out Extreme that was the only way to get a Docsis 3.1 non Puma 6 modem from them


That's crazy especially about the modem. You would think they would want everyone to have Docsis 3.1 so they could upgrade ppl to Extreme at a push of a button.


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## 1948GG (Aug 4, 2007)

The other major cable operator here in western Washington state is Wave Broadband, and they have a much more gradual slope to their caps than does comcast; but their caps are extremely small (100MB and then increments up from there, topping out at no cap gigabit), but most tiers can be 'no capped' at double the cost. So 100mb/s service is only $40/month (100MB cap) but cost doubles ($80) if no cap. Ah, same price as comcast (!!)

All LTE wireless folks have rolled out 'home internet' including a couple of the regional folks, with varying coverage. I moved out to a fairly rural area 5 years ago, 2nd move after retirement, but one of the requirements was comcast service; but if I drive more than a mile in any direction, it drops off a cliff. TMobile has excellent coverage (national hq is ~100 miles from me so there had better be!) with two towers <1 mile in two directions plus more coverage off a 5 story building downtown some 3 miles away. 5 bars everywhere in my house. Both ATT and VZ are on the close towers or on others less than a block away from them. Fyi, the comcast fiber hub feeding the surrounding neighborhoods is ~1000' from my home, 50% in the air and 50% buried on my street.

When the wireless folks get serious about 5g or any higher than 2ghz band service, that's when things will get serious. I have signed up for starlink but even though I'm 100 miles from their Redmond hq, no email yet. Have a spot on my garage picked out, virtually 360deg horizon to horizon no blockage whatsoever.


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