Verizon kicks up the speed
Verizon continues to offer the fastest Internet connections to homes with its FiOS (fiber-to-the-premises services) in the U.S. This does not compete with some parts of Europe and Asia that already have 100Mbps connections. FiOS currently tops out at about 30Mpbs peak for download. Verizon is about to take the lid off of something big, which will boost speeds to 200Mbps.
The new technology is called GPON, or better known as Gigabit Passive Optical Network. This technology allows Verizon to deliver 2.4Gbps down and 1.2Gbps up. Most users will be unable to find a server that can deliver that kind of continuous performance. Most consumer equipment, e.g., switches, routers, and hard drives, will not be able to even come close to being able to keep up with a maxed connection, assuming that the user could find one.
The conversion to GPON is fairly easy because techs only have to swap out the boxes on each end of the fiber to make it happen. All new installs will feature GPON moving forward, and Verizon will upgrade existing fiber runs if it sees a demand for the service.