Craving HD IPTV? It could be closer than you think

The Telecommunications Industry Association and the Fiber to the Home Council have released the results of a study proclaiming that over a million customers now have fiber service, and can get HDTV over those links. The industry also passes over six million homes and businesses, which means that those potential customers could hook up if they wanted. The interesting part is that this is a 50 percent increase since only March when the fiber lines only passed four million, so they've been doing some serious digging to lay all that fiber (or at least from the street to the homes, the main trunks may have already been laid long before then)

Nevertheless, all this rides on your local provider actually laying those lines and offering the service, here in the Fort Worth, Texas area I have SBC AT&T and they offer nothing but plain old medium-speed ADSL. Yet I have coworkers who live in areas serviced by Verizon and get speeds on their FIOS that make me want to cry (and move!) So, hopefully you're in a location where your local provider has laid down the lines and is just saving up the thousand bucks to offer you fiber, and not like me, stuck in an area where your provider apparently doesn't care about signing up new business.

[wyldtek Posted Oct 6th 2006 2:18PM]

They haven't even covered Dallas yet (just the burbs). But at the rate they are going they'll probably do Fort Worth first...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 6th 2006 4:47PM]

Hey, I'm moving to Keller in two weeks and I'm gonna be dang sure I get hooked up with some FIOS action! :)

[Erik Hanson Posted Oct 7th 2006 12:08AM]

Just make sure you get the highest speed package, for great Bit Torrenting! Also, I hate you.

Biggie ups for fellow Cowtown residents!

[wyldtek Posted Oct 9th 2006 3:10PM]

I hate you too, lol

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 7th 2006 12:11AM]

Bonded ADSL2+ on short loops = 48Mbps downstream
VDSL2 on short loops = 100Mbps downstream

Rural telcos are already offering IPTV over ADSL2+, with HD IPTV rollouts coming the end of this year as bonded ADSL2+ and VDSL2 gear hits the field.

You dont need FTTH, just FTTN. Copper aint dead yet people.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 12th 2006 1:55AM]

I've had IPTV for over 1 year now in the Sacramento area provided by Surewest. They also provide me with 10 megabit download internet service for 39 per month. They offer 20 megabit service for $10 more but I don't need it. Overall, I'm not impressed with the STB hardware and software that runs on the box, but the HD service is fine. They came to our street in the fall of 05 and ran fiber to my house and I soon switched from Dish. I still debate the choice but I deal with it.