Verizon FiOS Targeting SMBs

By Raju Shanbhag

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

Saying they want to offer some businesses a faster Internet connection, Verizon officials announced today that they’re ramping up efforts to extend the reach of their FiOS (News - Alert) service to small and medium-sized commercial properties such as strip malls, and street-level shops and offices.

 

The so-called “Verizon (News - Alert) Enhanced Communities” is conducting the service expansion and marketing campaign targeted to these properties, known as multiple-tenant units.

 

Verizon says it started contacting owners of small and medium-sized commercial properties in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia last fall. Company officials mawkishly describe that as the “beginning of the journey” when they brought FiOS Internet for Business to MTU properties in parts of 16 states.

 

Verizon officials say their company’s fiber-to-the-premises network offers a competitive advantage in marketing the properties of the customers, reflected in bringing FiOS to multiple-tenant commercial properties. Verizon says it has an ambitious plan to bring FiOS services to even more MDUs and MTUs by the end of this year.

 

On its most advanced digital, all-fiber-optic network, Verizon FiOS Internet for Business service can provide Internet access with maximum downstream connection speed of up to 50 megabits per second. At 50 Mbps, downloading a 1.2 gigabyte, or 90-minute, standard-definition movie takes approximately 3.2 minutes, according to the company.

 

As Verizon’s large-scale fiber-optic network extends all the way to customers’ homes and small and medium-sized businesses, company officials say, upload speeds of up to 20 Mbps make it a snap to share purchased videos and files. Compared with about 47 minutes on a 768 kilobits per second upstream connection, uploading a 250 megabyte file, or a 3,500 page document, takes about 90 seconds with a 20 Mbps upstream broadband connection.

 

With maximum downstream connection speeds of up to 30 Mbps and maximum upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps or 15 Mbps, company officials say, Verizon FiOS Internet for Business service delivers Internet access in some areas. Verizon FiOS Internet for Business offers a number of broadband speeds to meet the needs of each small and medium-sized business.

 

“Verizon’s all-fiber-optic network, which provides unprecedented bandwidth and the ability to deliver super-high-speed Internet connections and crystal-clear voice and video signals, practically sells itself,” said Eric Cevis, vice president of Verizon enhanced communities. “Property owners of apartment or commercial buildings want to attract tenants - residents and businesses - with a network designed to be “future-proof” that can support today’s applications as well as foreseeable applications to come.”