Today, AT&T announced the launch of the AT&T Voicemail Viewer application for U-verse smartphones users. As AT&T explains, “Much like an email inbox, the Voicemail Viewer app lists your home voicemail messages and allows you to choose the order in which you wish to listen to them. The app also provides a notification when a new voicemail arrives on your home phone, plus the ability to delete voicemails remotely.” The press release does not specify which smartphone platforms will be supported; navigating to att.com/vmviewer and entering a phone number — as instructed in the press release — results in a 404 error. Pristine. Anyway, it sounds like pretty a cool service for residential U-verse subscribers, thoughts?

UPDATE: AT&T has provided an alternate link for those interested in looking at the service: https://www.um.att.com/vmviewer. The application currently supports BlackBerry and iOS devices.

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The megabit wars are pretty comical on both the residential and wireless broadband fronts. Companies promise internet speeds “up to” a certain number of megabits and label their network technologies with catchy phrases like “power boost.” Recent news stories that come to mind include: a report that WiMax 2 would provide speeds up to 100 Mbps, Verizon has achieved nearly 1 Gbps with a residential FiOS deployment, and T-Mobile is rapidly expanding its 4G-ish HSPA+ network at up to 21 Mbps. All the speeds boasted are usually preempted by the words “peak” or “theoretical” making them, like that 35 mpg highway rating on your Cadillac Escalade, unlikely.

Thanks to the FCC, and data from comScore and Akamai, these megabit myths (on the residential broadband side0 have been governmentally confirmed. The FCC concluded that, “the median actual speed consumers experienced in the first half of 2009 was roughly 3 Mbps, while the average (mean) actual speed was approximately 4 Mbps.” Contrast this with the average advertised download speed of 6.7 Mbps in that same period,and you can see there is a bit of an actual speed deficit. The FCC concluded that when you look at the actual speeds consumers are experiencing they are far slower than the speeds they are promised in advertising. As Ars Technica reports, the FCC findings recommend that “a standard truth-in-labeling form should be drafted by the FCC,” in order to make broadband speeds clearer. Sort of like those super-accurate MPG stickers on new cars.

We want to know: what is your ISP, what speeds were you promised, and what are your actual speeds? Do you think a broadband report card is a good idea?

Read [FCC Report PDF] Read [Ars Technica]

The folks over at Verizon have just dropped a press release to boast about a very impressive feat. The company has just “completed a field trial in which it delivered approximately 1 gigabit-per-second bandwidth to a customer on the currently deployed gigabit passive optical network in a live production FiOS network setting.” Now that is some speed! The press release goes on to say: “Verizon’s GPON platform supports a total throughput of 2.4 Gbps downstream and 1.2 Gbps upstream to customers connected to the PON. This test successfully demonstrated the ability to serve customers on the FiOS network with Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) service.” The actual speeds recorded were 925 Mbps to a local server and 800 Mbps to a regional server 400 miles away; Verizon also said the increased speeds did not cause any kind of degradation in FiOS TV or residential FiOS phone services. The company said that this test proves that its current FiOS network has the ability to scale to meet the growing data demands of its customers. How many of you out there have FiOS? Is it available in your area? We’ve got the full press release after the break.

Verizon Demonstrates Near Gigabit-per-Second Throughput on Its Existing FiOS GPON Platform

Test Shows Current FiOS Network Offers Bandwidth Headroom to Meet Emerging Business and Consumer Needs

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ – Verizon has completed a field trial in which it delivered approximately 1 gigabit-per-second bandwidth to a customer on the currently deployed gigabit passive optical network in a live production FiOS network setting. This kind of capacity and versatility will enable Verizon to accommodate a wide array of new and emerging consumer and business services such as 3DTV, desktop virtualization and remote storage, as well as wireless backhaul for the next generation of wireless technologies.

Verizon’s GPON platform supports a total throughput of 2.4 Gbps downstream and 1.2 Gbps upstream to customers connected to the PON. This test successfully demonstrated the ability to serve customers on the FiOS network with Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) service.

The latest field trial was conducted in June in Taunton, using an existing GPON system developed by Motorola, a current supplier to Verizon of both BPON (broadband passive optical network) and GPON equipment. The trial, conducted at an existing FiOS business customer location, was intended to demonstrate in a live network setting that currently deployed FiOS equipment can support higher bandwidth services and can deliver 1 Gbps without major change to the network.

“This kind of bandwidth capacity will provide Verizon the ability to continue to meet FiOS customers’ needs by offering more bandwidth to support services such as 3DTV, ultra HDTV, multiplayer gaming and HD video conferencing,” said Brian Whitton, executive director of Verizon’s technology group.

The test involved bringing a new fiber connection from an existing operating GPON system at the company’s Taunton call-switching office to a second optical network terminal (ONT) located at the business customer’s facility. The second ONT was provisioned for the new 1 Gbps service tier, and the speed was tested to a local speed test server over an optimized route, as well as across the public Internet to a regional speed test server located more than 400 miles away.

The throughput speeds were measured at 925 Mbps (megabits per second) to a local server and more than 800 Mbps to the regional test speed servers. The customer’s existing FiOS service was left in place, and showed no degradation in the voice, data or video services during this trial.

“This trial demonstrated that the current architecture has sufficient headroom to allow for a progressive increase in capacity as needed by our residential and business customers on our current GPON platform, and validates our decision to support both residential and business services on the same platform,” said Vincent O’Byrne, director of Verizon’s technology organization, who managed the trial.

Rogers Communications, Canada’s second largest internet provider, has lowered the data allowance on several of its residential internet plans. Rogers “Extreme” service will now offer an 80 GB per month allowance (formerly 90 GB), and subscribers to the “Lite” service will be allotted 15 GB per month (formerly 25 GB). The CBC speculates that Netflix’s recent announcement to open shop in the Great White North may have something to do with Rogers’ decision. It isn’t all bad news though, Rogers upped the speeds on their “Extreme” plan from 10 Mbps to 15 Mbps… so that’s something. Currently, Rogers provides home internet service to over 1.6 million Canadian subscribers.

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Verizon has announced a new month-to-month, contract-less option for its popular FiOS cable, internet, and phone service they are calling their “Worry-Free Guarantee.” The contractless option will allow customers in “California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia markets [...] plus the FiOS markets of Indiana, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington, which are in the process of being transitioned to Frontier Communications” to take advantage of the company’s fiber optic network without having to sign a contract. Not bad Verizon, not bad at all. Of course this offering is only for “new Verizon FiOS customers” and does not offer you what Verizon is calling “price protection.” Hit up the bounce for the full release from VZ.

New Verizon FiOS Customers Offered Month-to-Month Pricing With No Term Contract or Early-Termination Fees Required; Consumers Gain Peace of Mind With ‘Worry-Free Guarantee‘

FiOS Becomes Better Choice for Customers With Consumer-Friendly Changes

NEW YORK, June 21 /PRNewswire/ — Customers ready to drop their cable provider can now make the switch to Verizon FiOS with added confidence, convenience and choice. Effective immediately, all new Verizon FiOS customers can opt to pay for a bundle on a month-to-month basis – at the same prices charged to customers purchasing a term contract – and receive price protection for one year without an early-termination fee.

For customers who want two-year price protection, Verizon has expanded its 30-day FiOS Worry-Free Guarantee.

New FiOS consumers who order a Verizon bundle as part of a two-year contract can take advantage of the Worry-Free Guarantee, allowing them to cancel their service within 30 days of the date of activation, with no termination fee. The month-to-month option and Worry-Free Guarantee expand upon offers introduced earlier this year in Florida and Pennsylvania and that have met with very favorable customer response.

The Worry-Free Guarantee now covers new bundled customers in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia markets where FiOS is offered. The month-to-month option is available in those states, plus the FiOS markets of Indiana, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington, which are in the process of being transitioned to Frontier Communications.

“We’ve listened closely to the market and heard potential customers say that FiOS offers faster, more reliable broadband service and crystal-clear TV pictures in any conditions, but that they want time to consider their switch from cable,” said Mike Ritter, Verizon chief marketing officer for consumer wireline and business services. “We want customers to know that the shift to FiOS is the best move they can make; that a two-year commitment provides them with price protection for their home-entertainment needs; and that our month-to-month pricing option and Worry-Free Guarantee help reduce anxiety from their decision.”

Contrary to competitors’ claims, Verizon has always offered month-to-month bundles, at prices that were just $20 higher per month than the contract term bundles. Now new FiOS customers can get the base FiOS bundle month-to-month, with no term contract or early-termination fee, for $99.99 per month before taxes, fees and customer-selected service additions, such as set-top boxes and premium channel choices, or the new La Conexion bundle, which includes the best in English and Spanish programming, for $89.99. New customers can save an additional $5 per month on FiOS bundles when ordering online at www.verizon.com.

New customers will also receive EPIX or the FiOS TV Movie Package, which features more than 40 channels including SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL®, ENCORE® and FLIX® – all free for a year with a triple-play bundle and free for three months with a double-play bundle. This matches the current FiOS TV Movie Package offer for new term-contract customers.

• The month-to-month option, which comes with price protection for one year, also applies to other bundle offerings featuring higher broadband speeds and more HD programming.
• The month-to-month and two-year term versions of the Worry-Free Guarantee in states not being transitioned to Frontier Communications also include: Flexible dates and times for installation appointments.
• Round-the-clock order status tracking at www.verizon.com/whatsnext. Premium installation by Verizon technicians including home network setup and in-home demonstration.
• Follow-up satisfaction call.
• 24 x 7 technical support by phone, at www.myverizon.com and through Verizon’s exclusive In-Home Agent tool via the PC or TV.

Matt Davis, director of Consumer and Small Business Telecom Research for the global technology research firm IDC, believes that this strategy will resonate with consumers. “IDC believes that this new strategy of increasing consumer flexibility – coupled with multiple year pricing certainty – will serve as a catalyst to attract new customers to Verizon’s bundled service offerings,” said Davis. “At the same time, because IDC’s primary consumer research on the major TV, Internet and voice service providers indicates that existing Verizon bundle subscribers are highly likely to keep their Verizon bundle beyond their initial service agreement, we believe that Verizon will retain many of the new customers it acquires.”

Added Verizon’s Ritter: “We operate an unrivaled 100 percent fiber-optic network that allows us to offer the best TV and Internet technology, and we’re committed to delivering a vastly improved customer service experience as well. The customer is now more in control, and FiOS becomes an even safer choice because, if Verizon and FiOS do not deliver as advertised, customers have nothing to lose.”

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So… how do you overcome negative public perception and customer service issues that won’t seem to go away? Fix the root of the problem? No. You re-brand yourself of course! Today, Comcast announced that the company name will stay the same; however the services have been renamed to… XFINITY? Yes, XFINITY. Starting next week, Comcast will be rolling out the new name in 12 major markets. Comcast customers of Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Hartford, Augusta, Chattanooga, and San Francisco, you are now XFINITY Internet, XFINITY Cable, and/or XFINITY voice customers. XFINITY…sort of rolls off the tongue… wait, actually, no it doesn’t. Here is the corporate justification for the move: “XFINITY is about offering our customers more — more HD, more speed, more choice and more control over their services.” We would love to see Comcast improve their services and stop spending money on fighting net neutrality and changing all of the logos on their letterhead, but hey, that’s just us.

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Honestly, we absolutely love it when a company ignores its instincts along with the onslaught of advice from its PR firm and talks, err, smack. Despite what some flacks may tell you, people want to hear it like it is and sometimes PR-ified nonsense does more harm than good. Then again, sometimes the opposite is true. Like this time, for instance. Verizon has publicly responded to Cablevision’s new $99 Optimum Ultra 101Mbps residential Internet service in much the same manner a preteen with a hand-me-down Sega Genesis would respond to one touting a brand new Xbox 360. If you’d like to forgo reading Verizon’s response, here are the key points found within:

• Cablevision’s network is old.
• Delivering 101Mbps is easy.
• If a few people in the same neighborhood are heavy Ultra users, it will rip a hole in the space time continuum
• People don’t want fast Internet service
• Verizon can offer speeds waaaaaaay faster than 101Mbps — we just don’t want to
• Optimum Ultra’s upstream is 15Mbps and we offer 20Mbps [in the $150/month package]
• Most servers you hit on the Internet are way slower than 100 Mbps
• Cablevision just wants bragging rights
• Nanny nanny poo poo

While there is a valid point or two buried deep within the ‘we’re better but we choose not to be’ cries, the bottom line is that this was the wrong approach to take. Wrong. Verizon first contends that there is no demand for faster Internet service in the home, then concludes with the canned “the future is gonna be faaaaaast” claim. Well, Verizon, the future isn’t going to be fast unless service providers take incremental steps toward making it so.

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If you’re a Cablevision subscriber with a need for more bandwidth, you’re in for a real treat. Like, you might need to change your pants. Just announced a few seconds ago is Optimum Online’s new Ultra service. This takes their existing Boost service to a whole new level. Want to know how fast? How about 101Mbps downstream and 15Mbps upstream. Fast enough? Well, it’s now the fastest residential internet service in the entire country. Even better is the fact that come May 11th, the Ultra service will be available to every single Cablevision subscriber across their entire service area. You might be wondering what the pricing will be on this… it’s going to be available for $99 a month. Existing subs are paying around $60/month for Boost at 30Mbps/5Mbps and Verizon’s FIOS service is around $150/mo for 50Mbps/20Mbps — seems incredibly fair right? Think of all the DiVx movies, applications, games you could...

Hey Verizon, you just got pooped on.