Comcast Planning New Gigabit Pro, Competitor to Google Fiber

Comcast is aiming to deliver fiber Internet connectivity that is twice as fast as Google’s offering. However, providing speeds up to 2 gigabits per second is estimated to run more than four times the $70 monthly cost of Google Fiber in Kansas City, according to a page on the Xfinity website. The page notes that service would be made available within one-third of a mile of the company’s existing fiber network, with plans to expand to a list of cities. Comcast earlier announced that the new service would be available in Atlanta by May, but it has been delayed.

“Many of the cities are ones that either already have, or are expected to soon have, gigabit Internet connections — including Chattanooga, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and the San Francisco Bay Area — suggesting that pressure from Google Fiber and other competitors may finally be forcing Comcast to enter the gigabit market,” reports Wired.

The competition for faster service is ramping up. Google Fiber is rolling out to additional cities in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Meanwhile, CenturyLink has been introducing its Prism TV service in addition to fiber-enabled broadband speeds up to 1 gigabit per second.

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The Xfinity site explains that 2 gigabits per second will cost $299.95 a month with a two year agreement, in addition to as much as a $1,000 installation and activation fee.

The Comcast website describes speed as an integral part of an optimal online experience, and “With Gigabit Pro, we’ve now increased speeds 14 times in the past 13 years.” The website also reveals big plans for DOCSIS 3.1 in early 2016, which “will mean almost every customer in our footprint will be able to receive gigabit speeds over our existing network (a combination of both fiber and coax).”

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