Comcast has recently rolled out Gigabit Internet connectivity speeds in Atlanta over existing infrastructure. This is thanks to DOCSIS 3.1 technology. It should be noted that this is a trial program within the said area for the new service. With the aid of the aforementioned technology, the firm is able to deliver faster speeds over current networks (click here to know more about the fastest internet in the world).
Comcast Rolls Out Faster Internet Speeds Over Current Networks
This service from Comcast, albeit on a trial period, is not free. There is a fee for the subscribers for the pilot program. Those who are able to subscribe for the said service will be able to get the unlimited gigabit Internet connection service with no installation or activation fees. While the download speeds go up to 1 gigabits-per-second, the upload speeds only go up to 35 megabits-per-second as what has reported by DSL reports.
Those who are continuously sharing files over the Internet may find the upload speeds as a deal-breaker, but for most people who want to casually surf the Internet or download large files, the gigabit speeds are definitely worth trying. Furthermore, the speeds are better than what most people have now. Nonetheless, it is still nowhere near the 2Gbps offering from Google Fiber.
But there’s a catch (of course, it’s too good to be true if there’s no catch); subscribers must sign up for a three-year contract with the Internet Service Provider (ISP) Comcast for the Gigabit subscription. For those that want to terminate from the contract, there’s a hefty early termination fee (ETF) which is five times the price of the monthly subscription fee.
Interested subscribers can also opt for the subscription without the contract, but the monthly fee is nearly double the price for those who opt with the contract. Furthermore, those that do not go for the contract will have a 300GB monthly data cap.
However, once the trial program is over, it is still unclear if the standard monthly fee for the contract will still be applied. The firm states that the current price for the subscription is a “promotional contract price.” Additional pricing information will roll out in the markets to “gauge consumer interest in Gigabit speeds.”
Comcast is structuring their fees with regards to the program is to force the most contract-averse to opt for the “everyday pricing.” This means that the firm can only place subscribers in a lock-up status before Google Fiber expands their Internet connectivity presence in Atlanta.