A Comcast gigabit expansion announced yesterday will bring the service to markets in five states. Gigabit broadband will reach residential customers across Colorado, as well as the company’s Oregon-Southwest Washington and suburban Kansas City, Missouri and Olathe, Kansas service territories.
The new broadband services will be among the fastest and most widely available in the region and include access to Comcast’s Wi-Fi hotspot network, which now numbers over 17 million nationwide, according to a press release.
Comcast Gigabit Expansion
“We’re very pleased Comcast is offering 1 Gigabit internet service to all Independence residents, as well as the rest of the company’s area footprint,” Independence Mayor Eileen Weir commented. “Our region has been at the forefront of technology for the past several years, and we’re excited about the prospects for an even brighter future with the kinds of investments being made by service providers like Comcast.”
Significantly, Comcast’s new broadband services will make use of existing cabling and network infrastructure, which saves on the costs, labor, and disruption of new fiber roll-outs. The services are based on DOCSIS 3.1 technology. Existing subscribers will need to have a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem, or have one installed.
Comcast has set initial prices for the new broadband Internet services in all three states at $159.95 per month with no contract. The cable MSO will also test a promotional price of $109.99 per month in Oregon and Washington and in a few markets in Colorado that it has yet to identify publicly, as well as promotional pricing of $70 a month in the Kansas City market, a Google Fiber market.
Comcast management also highlighted the launch of Xfinity xFi, a digital “dashboard” that aims to make it easier for subscribers to set up and manage their home Wi-Fi networks. The home Wi-Fi dashboard gives subscribers the ability to see what devices are connected, troubleshoot problems, set parental controls and pause Wi-Fi home network services when they see fit.
