Verizon has launched a faster version of its FiOS internet service that can reach download speeds of up to 940 Mbps per second, the company said Monday.
By taking the leap into “gigabit” service, Verizon is becoming the latest company to compete with Comcast, Google Fiber and others at that speed tier.
The product, known as FiOS Gigabit Connection, is available now in eight U.S. markets on the East Coast, including New York; New Jersey; Philadelphia; Richmond; Hampton Roads, Va.; Boston; Providence, R.I.; and Washington, D.C. It costs $70 a month as a stand-alone product or $80 if purchased as part of a triple-play bundle, according to the company.
Those prices are comparable to that of Google Fiber, which has attracted much attention in recent years for bringing ultrafast connections to places such as Austin and Kansas City. At a gigabit per second, internet users can download an entire HD movie in a matter of seconds. On average, Americans receive a download speed of just 17 Mbps, according to the internet analysis firm Akamai — a fraction of what a gigabit connection represents.