Comcast To Roll Out Gigabit Internet Service In 2015
At present, Google and AT&T are the two companies making the most noise about gigabit Internet service for consumers. It's high time other ISPs jump on board as well, don't you think? If you agree, you'll be happy to know that Comcast and Liberty Global (a major ISP in Europe) are two other Internet companies with gigabit service on the roadmap.
Broadcom has reportedly begun sampling its first DOCSIS 3.1 chip (BCM93390), which enables gigabit Internet service, as well as makes it possible for consumers to shovel 2Gb/s of wireless data in their homes. In turn, Comcast and Liberty Global have both vowed to support the technology that Broadcom's new chip brings to the table.
Neither one promised outright to buy the BCM93390 part for their own hardware, though the two companies did commit to DOCSIS 3.1 rollouts in 2015 -- Comcast took it a step further and specifically stated it will offer consumers plans and services in 1Gbps territory.
"DOCSIS 3.1 is a critical technology for Comcast to provide even faster, more reliable data speeds and features such as IP video to our subscribers’ homes by harnessing more spectrum in the downstream," said Tony Werner, Comcast executive vice-president, in a statement. "By more effectively using our cable plant to grow our total throughput, we expect to offer our customers more than 1 gigabit speeds in their homes in 2015 and beyond."
That would be a major jump for Comcast subscribers, who currently can go as high as 150Mb/s through the company's "Extreme" service offering. What will be interesting, however, is how Comcast prices its gigabit service in relation to Google, and also what it chooses to do with data caps for consumers who subscribe to the faster service.
Broadcom has reportedly begun sampling its first DOCSIS 3.1 chip (BCM93390), which enables gigabit Internet service, as well as makes it possible for consumers to shovel 2Gb/s of wireless data in their homes. In turn, Comcast and Liberty Global have both vowed to support the technology that Broadcom's new chip brings to the table.
Neither one promised outright to buy the BCM93390 part for their own hardware, though the two companies did commit to DOCSIS 3.1 rollouts in 2015 -- Comcast took it a step further and specifically stated it will offer consumers plans and services in 1Gbps territory.
"DOCSIS 3.1 is a critical technology for Comcast to provide even faster, more reliable data speeds and features such as IP video to our subscribers’ homes by harnessing more spectrum in the downstream," said Tony Werner, Comcast executive vice-president, in a statement. "By more effectively using our cable plant to grow our total throughput, we expect to offer our customers more than 1 gigabit speeds in their homes in 2015 and beyond."
That would be a major jump for Comcast subscribers, who currently can go as high as 150Mb/s through the company's "Extreme" service offering. What will be interesting, however, is how Comcast prices its gigabit service in relation to Google, and also what it chooses to do with data caps for consumers who subscribe to the faster service.
