To begin, let’s talk about coverage. Both the GSM operators in the United States have notoriously bad 3G service. Don’t get me wrong, AT&T has the largest footprint in the USA, covering about 97% of all Americans with their Edge service. However, 2G networks such as Edge make anything more than simple text emails impossible. Moreover, T-Mobile is quickly expanding the footprint of their 3G network, a network which only a short time ago didn’t exist, but has yet to make it widely available. As such, consistency and HSDPA don’t go together in the United States. And don’t even get me started about basements, office buildings or parking garages. Can you say “No Service” with any more certainty?

CDMA carriers fair a little better, although they aren’t immune to the same pitfalls as AT&T and T-Mobile. Verizon Wireless loves to boast their reliable network as much as any carrier I’ve seen. Although more constant than AT&T, I’ve experienced network fluctuations and lack of coverage in my area. Sprint is equally inconsistent, particularly with the extremely limited coverage of their ’4G’ WiMax network.

In addition, none of the current mobile data networks available to the public even come close to DSL, cable, or fiber optic broadband speeds. I routinely get bellow 1Mbps download and average about 250Kbps upstream on AT&T’s 3G network. A reality simply unacceptable when you have content to share with the world. Verizon and Sprint, CDMA Rev. A, are comparable in real world situations although they have lower theoretical maximums. T-Mobile, on the other hand, continues to play catch-up with their HSPA+ rollout.

The combination of poor connectivity and slow speeds illustrate the overall terrible quality of these mobile data networks. In fact, whenever you really need to get some work done it seems the network gets even worse. I was trying to upload a picture from my iPhone the other day and AT&T’s 3G network refused to cooperate. Three times.

Let’s talk about some applications for a moment. The Evo 4G touts video chat with its front facing camera as a key feature of the device. Unfortunately, the service doesn’t work very well. Over WiFi the quality is VGA on a good connection and the frame rate is decent at best. Over 3G, you’re lucky to even keep the conversation connected. In fact, Apple is specifically blocking Facetime video messaging over 3G.

Video streaming is another example. Services such as MLB At Bat and the ABC player tout high quality video streaming to your mobile device. Over WiFi, watching my Yankees or my favorite episode of Castle is very enjoyable. When I tested the services over Sprint’s 4G network during a car ride, all I got was extremely low quality video streams and major lag. Essentially, the video wasn’t even watchable.

Of course, we aren’t always using our mobile devices in such strenuous situations. Some times sending an email or checking twitter is all we desire. Reading text isn’t too troublesome for 3G but when more advanced content, like images, come into play, expect delays. In fact, the gods at AT&T sometimes decide just to ignore this media all together and refuse to load the content. Don’t you just love passive censorship?

Even worse is the pricing structure for mobile data. Of course, specifics vary from carrier to carrier but generally speaking mobile data is over priced. For relatively slow speeds and connection issues it is hard to justify $30/month for unlimited data. In fact, AT&T recently removed unlimited data usage in favor of a 2GB, $25/month price tag. Even if your carrier still offers ‘unlimited’ data, remember unlimited really means a 5GB limit before your account gets flagged.

Overall, in today’s society I find it inexcusable that the major telecoms have no gripes with offering such a poor service. Obviously I’m a big user and therefore am critical of a product I use very frequently, but there is definitely merit to the argument. It’s 2010 for goodness sake, we can make big screen televisions an inch thick and we can drive completely electric cars for miles on end. Mobile data is undoubtedly years behind, a travest that irritates me day in and day out. If only one carrier went out on a limb and launched a powerful and consistent option I’d switch in a heartbeat. I mean, we can dream right?

Verizon was able to test the passive optical network system (XG-PON) network running at 10 Gbps downstream and 2.4 Gbps upstream. The test also confirmed that XC-PON can run side by side with Verizon’s current signal, gigabit passive optical network (GPON), without interference. GPON currently supports 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.24 Gbps upstream. Combined, Verizon is able to achieve a total of 12.5 Gbps downstream and 3.64 Gbps upstream which can be used with the current ONT’s installed on homes across the country.

Let’s take a step back for a second. XG-PON won’t be officially ratified until late-2010 or later so we won’t see these blistering speeds next week. Additionally, these speeds would be shared between around 30 homes at each node. That’s not to say the end user wouldn’t be able to get blistering speeds but don’t expect to run a speed test at these exact numbers.

Furthermore, remember that most users would never need these speeds. Even users who browse the internet all day or share their network with several other users don’t need anywhere near these speeds. In fact, most servers cannot accept these speeds anyway so it’s not as if browsing the web would get any faster. You would only need these speeds for high bandwidth applications such as “unicast HD video streaming, ultra-high-definition video, 3D video, user-generated content distribution, or video conferencing.”

Although I doubt I would ever need these speeds it’s nice to know that the curent fios architecture could support it. Imagine the possibilities though, home users could run servers and high-bandwidth web shows right from their homes with similar speeds to industrial models. It makes small online content producers like me very happy to see how bright the future is.

• Joost. Joost is an online video website that allows you to watch all types of media from films, to music videos and TV shows. Categories are broad ranging from tech and gaming to animation or action. After watching a short ad, you are greeted by the standard definition video of your choice. Joost even has a free iphone application for watching all of their content on your iPhone or iPod touch. The only downside to joost is that it is more of an aggregator of free video content then a place to find a new TV show.
• Hulu. Hulu has become my favorite online method for watching television shows. Supported by all the major companies, this legal online video site can supply you with all the latest TV shows you want for nothing more then a few thirty second ads. Hulu even offers several movies to wet your whistle. At 480p, shows look fine and are easily enjoyable. In fact, Hulu even offers a few episodes in 720p for everyone who wants the extra resolution.
• External TV Antenna. A TV antenna is a great way to get free, high or standard definition video as soon as it is available. Many companies, like NBC or Fox News, broadcast their programs live over the air just waiting for you to watch them. Many new HDTV’s have built in antenna’s for picking up this OTA content so check your current model first. Otherwise, you can buy an external antenna. From their, you can watch the content live on your tv or connect the antenna to your computer and record these broadcasts. For more information on TV antenna’s, check out antenna web, they have everything you need to know.
• The iTunes Store. Apple’s itunes is most widely known for it’s mp3 selection. However, apple has expanded their offerings and now sells standard and high definition TV shows and movies. (You can even rent movies from the store.) Older movies cost $9.99 while new releases cost around $15. Not all movies are available for rent though, but those that are cost around $4. TV shows cost $2.99 an episode or you can buy a season pass saving a little per episode.
• Netflix. With plans starting at $4.99 a month, it’s never been easier to rent DVD’s. While it does take a day or two to ship to your home, netflix is a great service for anyone who wants content delivered straight to their door. In fact, netflix has a huge library of blu-ray movies too so you can enjoy full 1080p content right on your television set. Furthermore, a small portion of their content can be watched instantly on your computer to compensate for shipping times.

With internet media booming it has never been a better time to cancel your cable subscription. Of course having cable is the easiest and most consistent method for obtaining this media when you consider how easy it is to loose OTA signals or for your internet to go out but is having your media as soon as it is released as important as the money it costs? That depends on you and how much money you can save.

Verizon has recently announced that Fios, Verizon’s fiber optic network, will see an increase of speeds. This update is pretty significant considering Verizon is announcing extremely fast speeds compared to average American ISP’s. In a press release Verizon announced:

The 50/20 Mbps service will be available in New York and Virginia for $89.95, and in other States for $139.95 a month with an annual service plan. The 20/20 Mbps FiOS tier is available in all FiOS markets for $64.99 a month with an annual service plan

Verizon went on to say that their mid-tier plan will be upgraded from 15/2 Mbps to 20/5 Mbps and their basic tier will be upgraded from 5/2 Mbps to 10/2 Mbps.
Press Release

Verizon also mentioned their plans to extend their coverage area to major cities. Verizon expects to cover all residents of new york city, in all five boroughs, in the next 5 to 6 years. Verizon also mentioned their interest in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

I have fios available in my area and have been seriously looking at switching. For most, the decision would be instant to move to fios but other family members have comcast email addresses and aren’t so sure they want to switch. With increased speeds for the same price my hopes for switching are renewed. Plus, in the future with more people having the opportunity to subscribe to this great service I can see fios’ market share increasing.

With all this in mind, if available, do you plan on switching to Fios? I mean, you are getting relatively great speeds at a pretty good price. Plus, you can expect good quality consider all the fiber lines fios is running on have been installed in the past years. So, for the best speeds on a new network, check out fios.

Update:
Well, after much discussion and comcast continuing to screw with us by serving us unreliable cable at very high prices, I have signed up for Verizon Fios. My service will be installed July 2 so look for more information around that time.