Oct 22, 2008 04:58 PM
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Comcast has announced that they have upgraded their DOCSIS 3.0 service to offer new high-speed 22Mbps/5Mbps and 50Mbps/10Mbps options. They have also increased the speed along standard tiers: 6Mbps/1Mbps will be upgraded to 12Mbps/2Mbps and 8Mbps/2Mbps will be increased to 16Mbps/2Mbps—both at no cost to subscribers. The "Ultra" 22Mbps plan will run for $63 while the "Extreme 50" 50Mbps plan will hit for $140. Unfortunately, the new service will be available only in the New England area intially—including Boston, Philadelphia, and parts of New Hampshire and New Jersey. The goal is to expand the service nationwide in the near future.
Users interested in the upgrades will be able to check their zip code for availability on a special landing page set up on the Comcast website. Keep in mind that all of these tiers will most likely be subject to Comcast's new 250GB data caps as well as their priority bandwidth management system that temporarily slows down heavy users under periods of congestion.
COMCAST BEGINS ROLLOUT OF EXTREME 50 MBPS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE
Plans to Reach More Than 10 Major Markets and Nearly 10 Million Homes and Businesses in
the Next Several MonthsTwo New, Faster Speed Tiers Introduced and Speeds Doubled for Most Existing Customers
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 22, 2008 – Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and
communications products and services, today announced it is making the leap from broadband to wideband with
the launch of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0. With wideband, Comcast will introduce a brand new echelon of
Internet speed tiers, which will redefine the customer experience online and create a platform for Internet
innovation in the years ahead.In the next few weeks, Comcast’s new services will be available to millions of residential homes and businesses
in parts of New England, including the Boston Metropolitan region and Southern New Hampshire, as well as
areas of Philadelphia and New Jersey. These services also will be available in the Twin Cities where wideband
was launched earlier this year. Comcast plans to continue to roll out wideband across its footprint and expects
to reach more than 10 major markets and pass nearly 10 million homes and businesses in the next several
months.With wideband, Comcast will offer among the fastest speeds available today, including the Extreme 50 tier at up
to 50 Mbps. It also will enable Comcast to double speeds for the majority of existing high-speed Internet
customers at no additional cost.“Wideband is a game-changer for the industry. With wideband running over our next-generation fiber-optic
network, we can greatly enhance our customers’ online experience immediately. And these speeds are only a
preview of what’s to come—wideband will provide the capability of delivering dramatically faster speeds in
excess of 160 Mbps in the future,” said Mitch Bowling, SVP and General Manager, Comcast Online Services.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms our commitment to offer more speed to more homes than any other U.S.
Internet service provider.”As part of the wideband deployment, Comcast will launch two new premium speed tiers to its residential and
business class customers. Both services are ideal for households or businesses simultaneously using several
computers or Internet-connected devices. They also will appeal to those who simply want some of the fastest
speeds available in the U.S. today:New Residential Tiers
•Extreme 50, offering up to 50 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 10 Mbps of upstream speed at
$139.95/month.*
•Ultra, offering up to 22 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 5 Mbps of upstream speed at
$62.95/month.*With Extreme 50, Comcast customers, for example, will be able to download a high-def movie (6 GB) in about
16 minutes, a standard-def movie (2 GB) in about 5 minutes and a standard-def TV show (300 MB) in a matter
of seconds. Customers with Extreme 50 also will be able to download digital photos, songs and games faster
than ever
Send an email to Sean Fallon, the author of this post, at sean@gizmodo.com.
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