Comcast leapfrogs Google Fiber with new 2Gbps internet service (Atlanta: 2015, homes)

[kcrzaye]

Rollout begins in Atlanta next month and will reach 18 million American homes by the end of the year

One way to answer critics and competitors alike is to simply do better, and for once Comcast is doing exactly that. The US cable giant is today announcing a new 2Gbps broadband service, which it will start rolling out in Atlanta from next month. There's no price yet, but Comcast says it will be symmetrical — meaning you'll upload just as quickly as you can download — and it won't be limited "just to certain neighborhoods."

Doug Guthrie, Senior VP of Comcast Cable’s South Region, explains that the company's "approach is to offer the most comprehensive rollout of multi-gigabit service to the most homes as quickly as possible." That's in stark contrast to what Comcast was saying just a couple of years ago, when it dismissed Google's Fiber efforts as being excessive for most people's needs.

To get connected, you'll need to be "within close proximity" of Comcast's fiber network and accept the installation of "professional-grade" equipment. That should hint at the likely high cost of Comcast's new offering, which can be interpreted as a residential extension of the multi-gigabit service that it already offers to businesses across the United States.

Comcast plans to expand to other cities beyond Atlanta and will cover as many as 18 million American homes by the end of 2015. For much broader gigabit coverage, the company also says it's working on a 1Gbps service — matching the speed of Google Fiber — for 2016, which it says will be able to connect "almost every customer in our footprint."


source: http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/2/833...-pro-broadband
source: http://corporate.comcast.com/news-in...nta-metro-area

[Tarzanman]

Given the ridiculous prices they charge for current internet service data transfer, I am afraid to see how they will price out fiber.

[arjay57]

If they already had it why didn't they offer it before?

[afdinatl]

I need to find a good cheap internet service here with no bundles

[PKCorey]

Good look to whoever wants to be that guinea pig.

It has taken almost 2 months for Comcast to finally figure out that my neighborhood node was oversubscribed (which I suspected from day 1). 5 truck visits later, 1 tech took the initiative to investigate and push it up the line and it was finally fixed.

It will probably have a contract and high installation price like their 505 offering.

[jsvh]

But do you still have to deal with Comcast customer service?

[glovenyc]

I'm still waiting for Google

[tikigod311]

Thank you Google for forcing other companies to improve.

This is why we don't need all these damn mergers. Competition es muy bueno.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Thank you Google for forcing other companies to improve.

Agreed. Hooray competition!

[travbo]

The comcast announcement itself shows you how poor the company is operated and how they fail to understand basic customer service.

Where's a form for potential customers to submit interest?

They continue to drop the ball.....