According to officials at Comcast, a new ultra high-speed Internet service is now available in Michigan's Great Southwest capable of downloading an entire musical album in two seconds flat…or an entire HD movie in just 40-seconds time. It's news that many people from technical engineers with huge files to gamers looking to play the most sophisticated of video games will welcome with open arms.
Comcast tells us they have launched the Michiana trial of a new Internet service today that delivers speeds up to 1 Gigabit-per second (Gbps) to customers. The service will use DOCSIS 3.1 technology to deliver these speeds over the company’s existing network infrastructure.
With a 1 Gbps connection, customers can:
- Download a 5 Gigabyte HD movie 40 seconds…
- Download a 600 Megabyte TV episode in four seconds…
- Download a 150 Megabyte music album in two seconds…
- Download 15 Gigabyte video game in two minutes…
John Crowley is Senior Vice President for Comcast's Greater Chicago Region. He says, “We’re delivering gigabit speeds over the network that already passes millions of homes in the region.” He adds, “Our commitment to providing customers with a great experience is front and center with this announcement, and we’re proud that Comcast’s Michiana customers will be among the first in the world to have access to this new Gigabit technology.”
The consumer introduction of DOCSIS 3.1 marks a major step forward in the evolution of ultra-high-speed broadband. Once DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit Internet service is available in a market, customers with Gigabit-capable devices will be able to sign up for a new plan and then experience the benefits of that speed.
In February 2016, Comcast unveiled plans to offer the service in Atlanta and Nashville in the first half of the year, with Illinois and Michiana, Detroit and Miami to follow in the second half. In December 2015, Comcast announced it had successfully installed its first DOCSIS 3.1 modem in Philadelphia. The modem also was tested in several Illinois locations to ensure the best possible customer experience before launching the service locally.
In 2015, Comcast launched its residential, fiber-based, multi-Gigabit service – Gigabit Pro – with symmetrical 2 Gbps speeds. Gigabit Pro is now available to 18 million homes across the country and about 2.4 million homes in Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region, which includes Central and Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
The every-day price of the new service with no contract is $139.95 plus taxes and fees. New and current Michiana customers can visit Xfinity.com/gig to learn about the new service and request additional information. As part of the trial, initial users will be encouraged to provide feedback about the service to Comcast, which will be used to help ensure future market rollouts deliver the best possible customer experience.
Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications, and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
With nearly 7,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region (www.comcastgcr.com) serves customers in Central and Northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
