More powerful Verizon Wireless could doom FiOS

[Commentary] To my realistic eyes, when Verizon acquired Vodafone's stake in Verizon Wireless, it marked the beginning of the end for FiOS as a competitive wireline tool.

Verizon and AT&T are tunnel-focused on wireless and have been for some time. Even as AT&T rolls out its much-vaunted Project VIP, nearly every press release discusses the benefits the investment brings to wireless subscribers and pushes wireline U-verse subs to the back of the broadband bus. Despite the ongoing love affair with all things wireless, wireline has much to recommend it when it comes to video delivery, as anyone who has struggled with a home Wi-Fi network can attest. That's why cable continues to dominate the video entertainment space and why so many rejoiced at the thought that Verizon would bring FiOS to their neighborhoods to compete with cable operators. But the cheers turned to raspberries when Verizon said it would collaborate with cable operators in non-FiOS markets with Verizon Wireless marketing cable and cable operators marketing Verizon Wireless. Still, most consumers have at least one cord stuck to the residence just to get high-speed data. Perhaps a more powerful Verizon Wireless will offer up a 4G wireless "cord" that delivers a competitive high-speed data service. More likely, though, if FiOS goes away, so does any relevant broadband competition.