Verizon Increases Upload Speeds Of FiOS Connections To Match Download Speeds

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has announced that its move to boost bandwidth for FiOS customers will help them upload content online much faster than ever before.

While current subscribers will be able to take advantage of the beefed-up bandwidth over the next few months, new subscribers will get "symmetrical" connections starting Monday, with the cheapest plan delivering a 25 Mbps download and upload speed, Associated Press, or AP reported. The company's current basic service allows users to download at a speed of 15 Mbps and upload content at 5 Mbps.

“Where we think we can win unequivocally is the data space,” Robert Mudge, Verizon's president of consumer and mass business markets, told the Wall Street Journal, adding that FiOS is aimed at customers for whom broadband is a “must have.”

According to the previous plan, a subscriber to 50 Mbps download speeds would receive only half of that speed for uploading files. But, the new plan will eliminate the difference between upload and download speeds. The new symmetrical upload speeds will also be available for people who subscribe for the top-speed plan offering 500 Mbps, the Journal reported.

A subscriber using a 50 Mbps connection will be able to upload 200 photos or a five-minute, high-definition video to the Internet in 40 seconds, the company claimed, adding that the same task would take more than 90 seconds with a 25 Mbps connection.

With its latest move, Verizon hopes to gain an edge over competitors, specifically cable companies, who currently offer a top upload speed of 35 Mbps, AP reported.