Subscribe
To be a Google Fiber city or not to be a Google Fiber city. It could make a big difference to your wallet if Comcast upgrades broadband speeds in your neighborhood before Google Fiber finally arrives in your “fiberhood.”
When Comcast first announced a major trial of DOCSIS 3.1 gigabit broadband service in Chicago, it confirmed it would cost $139.95 a month — double the price Comcast charges customers in cities where Google Fiber has expressed an interest in providing gigabit service as well. With Chicago nowhere on the Google Fiber upgrade list, it seemed Comcast was prepared to prove the point that competition can really make a difference in broadband pricing, at least until stories appeared headlining Comcast’s pricing policies. Within hours, Comcast “clarified” it was prepared to sell gigabit service in Chicago for $70 a month as well, with a three-year contract.
“We are now able to deliver gigabit speeds over the existing lines that already reach millions of homes in the Chicago area,” Comcast spokesman Jack Segal told the Chicago Tribune. “This is a major step in the evolution of high-speed broadband.”
This is not Comcast bringing a new fiber line to your home or business. This is gigabit download speed over Comcast’s current cable/fiber network — the same one that delivers your current broadband service. DOCSIS 3.1 allows Comcast to bond additional channels together to boost speeds, at least on the downstream side. This technology will not deliver gigabit speed in both directions, at least for now. Comcast’s DOCSIS 3.1 gigabit plan delivers 1,000Mbps download speed, but just 35Mbps upstream. Customers looking for something faster can pay dramatically more for Comcast’s Gigabit Pro fiber to the home service, offering 2,000Mbps speeds. But it will cost up to $1,000 to install and is priced at $300 a month with a two-year contract.
Comcast’s 1TB usage cap (with up to $200 in overlimit fees) will apply to Comcast’s DOCSIS 3.1 plans, unless you opt for unlimited service… for another $50 a month. Comcast gracefully includes unlimited with its Gigabit Pro service.
Chicago residents can sign up for either gigabit plan at www.xfinity.com/gig. A $50 installation fee applies and a service call is required. Customers signing up will need a new cable modem that supports DOCSIS 3.1, and there are only a handful on the market so far. Many more will be available in 2017.
Thanks again comcast for slowing innovation by adding an artifical upload connection cap of 35megabits. Seriously. Enough is enough.
Why the heck does this need a $50 “activation” or a “service call”? Isn’t it just buying a modem that supports it and swapping it out? It was PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINFUL trying to get Comcast to activate my current modem though. Just amazingly backwards. Took me literally days and dozens of calls before someone FINALLY just punched the damned numbers in the system so it would (within seconds) work. I don’t even know why it requires dealing with a person at all…their automated systems ought to handle it! It’s like Comcast wants to make it as painful as possible, even when it… Read more »
Actually on the Comcast forums there are people complaining about their “Gig Speed” being about half of that. Comcast has not answered their complaints. You CANNOT BUY a modem but MUST RENT a Technicolor (TC4400-CMT) DOCSIS 3.1 one. Basically with the modem rental fee and $140 if you lock in for 3 years your cost for 520 (42 up) gig service is going to be well over $150 a month. In other parts of the world these speeds at these prices are a joke. I have blast 50 gig and during the evenings I struggle to get 30Mbps. The $50… Read more »