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The west was won with higher upload speed.
Qwest, one of the nation’s largest telephone companies serving the western half of the United States, has proven that telephone company broadband need not be stuck in the past with slow and unreliable DSL speeds. Today, the company announced it was unveiling new super fast upload speed tiers for its entire lineup of broadband plans. During the promotional period, current subscribers with a 7, 12, or 20Mbps download tier can upgrade to 5Mbps upload speed for $5 more a month. That upload speed is far faster than what cable companies are providing customers across Qwest’s service area.
Neil E. Cox, executive vice president of Qwest Product and IT emphasized the growing importance of upload speeds for consumers.
“Faster download speeds are important, but upload speeds are getting more attention. By increasing connection speeds in both directions, Qwest is poised to support user-generated content and simultaneous high-bandwidth applications, like multiple online video streams and downloads or multiple players of online video games,” Cox said.
The company also announced a new super fast 40Mbps download and 20Mbps upload tier in selected cities.
Amy Lind, IDC Research Manager, Consumer Broadband and Mobile Services said that consumers are clamoring for faster speed and their research shows customers aren’t simply passively accessing web content any longer.
“Broadband providers have primarily focused on download speeds because, until recently, the Internet has been mostly a source for content, especially online video. Now, as more people create and share their own content, upload speeds have become increasingly important,” she said.
“Qwest has recognized this rapidly growing user-generated content trend and is encouraging the evolving Internet habits of its customers by adding new broadband tiers that emphasize upstream speeds,” Lind added.
The upgrades are possible because Qwest is deploying VDSL2 technology, a modern version of DSL, across its service area. The technology works over a combination fiber optic/copper wire telephone network. As long as a neighborhood is reached with a fiber optic line, VDSL2 can work over existing telephone wiring in the home. Consumers subscribing to the service are provided with an Actiontec® Wireless VDSL2/ADSL2+/2 Universal DSL Wireless Gateway (modem). The company warns that although the service is very fast, download and upload speeds will be up to 15% lower “due to network requirements and may vary for reasons such as customer location, Web sites accessed, Internet congestion and customer equipment.”
Pricing of Qwest’s New Speed Offerings
40 Mbps download with 5 Mbps upload, $99.99 a month for the first 12 months when combined with a qualifying home phone package.
40 Mbps download with 20 Mbps upload, $109.99 a month for the first 12 months when combined with a qualifying home phone package.
An introductory rate of $5 more a month for qualified customers with 7 Mbps, 12 Mbps or 20 Mbps speed tiers who upgrade to 5 Mbps upstream speeds.
A fact sheet is available with more information about the upgrade.
Read more and see a company video below the break.
[flv width=”480″ height=”272″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/Qwest 40Mbps Demo Video.flv[/flv]
Availability
(cities in italics have service available in limited areas today, all others will have service available in selected areas by the end of 2009.)
Arizona
Phoenix
Tucson
Colorado
Denver
Colorado Springs
Fort Collins
Idaho
Boise
Iowa
Des Moines
Iowa City
Cedar Rapids
Minnesota
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Nebraska
Omaha
New Mexico
Albuquerque
Las Cruces
Santa Fe
Oregon
Portland
Salem
Bend
Eugene
Utah
Salt Lake City
Provo
Washington
Seattle
Vancouver
Spokane
I wish they would up the upload speed here. 1.5Mb/sec is ok but I really would like to see 5Mb/sec too around here.
DSL’s not dead yet, but I wonder how close each remote that Qwest is going to be putting VDSL into is going to be from each other. I know that VDSL2 can take over 100Mbps of download, but you need to have a very short line for that. I imagine after 4000ft or so they’d probably have another remote nearby.
Sounds too good to be true….hmmm what’s their PDF say at the bottom? “Qwest High-Speed Internet: Service not available in all areas. Fiber‐optics exists from the neighborhood terminal to the Internet. Connection speeds are based on sync rates. Download speeds will be up to 15% lower due to network requirements and may vary for reasons such as customer location, websites accessed, Internet congestion and customer equipment. With approved credit. Activation fee applies. Prices exclude taxes, surcharges, and other fees. Requires compatible modem. Subject to additional restrictions and subscriber agreement.” “15% lower [download speeds] due to … websites accessed…” ?? “Subject… Read more »
My upload on RCN is 356k My download is 3MBps. This is unacceptable for NYC. Out standards have gotten so low in this country..it really makes me sick. Our music writing and production is the lowest it’s ever been. A “chocolate” candy bar has less than 20% cocoa..(Europe has strict Cocoa requirements) Dryers is putting out a “frozen dessert” that looks like ice cream but be sure to “read the front label very carefully”. It’s made of crap and less cream. What the hell..everything I buy breaks in a year. And people wonder why the economy tanks. We produce NOTHING… Read more »
Finally a person that talks reasonable and smart. i wish more people would start thinking on how to start having a progress and not on how cool is to be an america and sit over their butt being lazy