In the ever evolving mission to produce the fastest high speed Internet,  Verizon FiOS has successfully tested near “break neck” speed.  Using its gigabit passive optical network (GPON), Verizon successfully sent data at 1gbps.  If you’re looking for perspective here, that’s 200 times faster than its current 50mbps high speed Internet, which is plenty fast itself.

An article written for Electronista claims, “The test was conducted in Taunton in June, with an existing GPON system sending data to a second optical network terminal. Both an optimized route and across the public Internet to a regional speed test server over 400 miles away were part of the test.”  That translates to achieving optimal performance in ideal and typical situations.

So what does that mean for us, the consumers?  That means we are well on our way to using super fast high speed Internet, with Verizon FiOS anyway.

In a move sure to please technology infused football fans, Verizon FiOS is set to broadcast the first NFL game of the year in 3D.

A press release issued by Verizon details the preseason Giants/Patriots game, broadcast in 3D, with pre-game, half-time and post-game shows, also in 3D.   The 3D event won’t be available in every market, but Verizon plans to broadcast in areas of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  Also, keep in mind that you must have an HDTV with 3D TV capability and a pair of 3D glasses for everyone planning to watch the game.

You can check to see if Verizon FiOS is available at your house by entering your address in the “Savings Widget” above.

When it comes to cable TV, high speed Internet services and local phone service, the marketplace is fueled by heavy advertising and fierce competition and it doesn’t go unnoticed.    Along with several other providers, Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable consistently find themselves in the Top 10 as listed in the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s  Top 25 Multichannel Video Programming Distributors list.

So how do  Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable rank in the Top 10?  Subrscribers.

The NCTA uses “basic video subscribers” to determine who tops the list in the industry.  Basically, the more subscribers you have, the higher you rank.  And as of March 2010, Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable ranked #1, #8, and #4, respectively.  To see how your local cbale comany stacks up against the rest, check out the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s  Top 25 Multichannel Video Programming Distributors list.

In what could be considered rather stunning in today’s markets, Verizon now offers  ”month-to-month” FiOS bundles with no contract and no early termination fees.

No, you read it right.  That says Verizon FiOS bundles with “no contract”.  According to today’s press release from Verizon, “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.”

It’s a bold move to drive customers to try Verizon FiOS over similar cable television services in areas of  California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and DC.  And for those of you in the the FiOS markets of Indiana, Oregon, South Carolina and Washington, which are in the process of being transitioned to Frontier Communications, you are also eligible for the new month-to-month bundles.

In local telephone company news, Verizon launches its “enhanced digital phone service”, FiOS Digital Voice.

According to a press release issued by Verizon, FiOS Digital Voice is the perfect compliment for its existing line of FiOS services,  ”the ultimate broadband and home-entertainment experience”. Going head to head with landlines, VoIP, and cable phone packages, FiOS Digital Voice is an attempt to provide superior call quality using Verizon’s all-fiber-optic network.  Eric J. Bruno, vice president for Verizon consumer product management and development, claims the new phone service will set a new standard in the same manner as FiOS TV and FiOS Internet have in their respective markets.   With over 20 features, including live voice-mail screening and on TV caller ID, FiOS Digital Voice is certainly an appealing product.

To sweeten the pot with more than superior call quality, Verizon is advertising a limited time offer on its FiOS quad or triple-play bundles.  If you signup by July 24, 2010, you can get a FiOS triple-play for as low as $99.99.

FiOS Digital Voice is currently available in areas of California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,  Texas, Virginia,  and Washington, D.C., but you can use the “Savings Widget” to check your specific address.