At the start of the year, Comcast theorized that the company would be capable of offering gigabit internet speeds in the near future to its customers. Competing with the growing Google Fiber ISP that offers gigabit speeds at reasonable prices is of the utmost importance as Google Fiber continues to grow in its availability. After an entire year, Comcast is confident that it can deliver on its original promise of gigabit internet.
Using its existing cable network, Comcast has created its first DOCSIS 3.1 modem that is said to be the key to delivering gigabit internet to existing customers. The modem and the gigabit service have been tested out at one Philadelphia, PA test site which showed successful results. Though its first test was a success, Comcast says that the company will continue testing for the next few months before announcing its gigabit internet rollout plans, those are said to begin later in 2016.
If you are on an older Comcast cable network where getting anything close to modern broadband speeds (25 Mbps download, 3 Mbps upload) is not possible, it could be a while before Comcast rolls out its improved service to you. Of course, even when Comcast officially makes gigabit internet available there"s still the issue of price.
As of this moment, Google offers its Fiber service in Austin, TX for $70/month with 1 TB of cloud storage with no activation fee if you agree to a 1-year commitment. You can even get internet for virtually nothing per month after a signup fee. So the question remains that, when the time comes, will Comcast choose to offer gigabit internet at a competitive rate or will the company attempt to bleed customers dry for the next-generation of internet service?
Source: Comcast