Questions About Verizon FiOS

Verizon FiOS is a collection of services using fiber optic cables to provide data at broadband Internet speeds. In 2010, pcmag.com named FiOS the fastest Internet in the United States. FiOS does not slow down during peak hours of increased usage, according to Verizon. FiOS currently supports both television and internet service.

Verizon FiOS television service delivers television programming via Verizon's fiber optic network. Because, like all broadband service, FiOS is digital, it easily incorporates HD and 3D programming, as well as television programs and movies on demand. It also interacts with a customer's television set in ways that are more like a personal computer, including social media access, sports scores and news updates, and networking with home computers for photo streaming.

Verizon's FiOS broadband Internet service is simply high-speed Internet access delivered over Verizon's fiber optic network. Verizon promises that it engages in neither throttling -- slowing down the Internet connection of customers whose usage is deemed to heavy -- nor boosting -- where customers are given high speeds at the beginning of a download, then slower speeds for the rest -- on the FiOS network. FiOS Internet service includes a Verizon email, as well as a "web space" for a customer's blog or personal or web site. Some FiOS packages also include Verizon wireless Internet access for mobile computers.

Verizon FiOS service is only available in certain areas. Where the fiber optic cables are not in place, Verizon cannot offer FiOS service. Verizon plans to offer FiOS in all states where the company offers landline telephone service, but does not yet have the full network in place in all these areas. FiOS's initial availability was centered on the East Coast, including New England, Florida, and other areas, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, California, and Indiana, but has already begun to expand. To check if FiOS service is available in your area, visit the Verizon website and enter your address.