Why bother changing to FIOS?

[VCP]

Hi Guys,

In my Condo Association we are getting ready to reject Verizon’s offer to install FIOS! Are we out of our mind? If so, what are we missing?

In our multiple-unit buildings (MUD) the Verizon subcontractor first proposed driving the fiber right into each apartment (FTTP) and that sounded great, except that all too many of our unit owners had no interest in this. Why bother if many use the existing coaxial cable only for TV, have DSL Internet over phone wires, etc?

Next the subcontractor anchored himself into “the only way to do this” is to place the (8-port) ONTs in the utility rooms of each building and from there connect FIOS to the existing coax cable (which the Condo owns and is now being used for Comcast TV/Internet/voice). Problem with this is that it FORCES every condo owner to choose getting BOTH TV and Internet service from either Comcast or FIOS – and running an extra Cat-5 cable to those wanting TV from one provider and Internet from another is not practical.

So, why bother considering FIOS? From their respective websites the features and prices are pretty much the same (disregard temporary sales deals). Moreover, FIOS is coming in at the same prices as Comcast, who for years has enjoyed the monopoly granted by our illustrious State/Town local governments – obviously not wanting to start a price war with Comcast. Perhaps as both giant companies compete for market share of a slow-expanding market the prices will come down. But that ‘hope’ is quite insufficient as a reason for a Condo Association to jump into FIOS.

So, in rejecting FIOS... Are we out of our mind? If so, what are we missing?

Thanks for your comments.

[pfh]

It leaves you with the limited choices and monoploy you now have.  Fios might also be a little selling point for what it's worth.  Running fiber into multi dwelling units makes a lot of sense considering bandwidth issues on copper and can only be more important as the future of networking only gets bigger.

[Mposadastx]

well yes it is quite an inconvenience having strangers all over your place hooking stuff up
but trust me i will never go back to anything lower than my 15 meg connection

[fiosnj]

Problem with this is that it FORCES every condo owner to choose getting BOTH TV and Internet service from either Comcast or FIOS – and running an extra Cat-5 cable to those wanting TV from one provider and Internet from another is not practical.

Not true...Verizon has a splitter that will allow the same coaxial wire to carry both Verizons signal and cable.