Comcast Tests Pricing For 105-Mbps Tier
Extreme 105 Available in Xfinity Markets at $105 Per Month for One Year
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 12/10/2010 11:59:30 AM
How much would you pay for one of the zippiest residential broadband services in America?
Comcast is looking to answer that question, quietly testing out different price points for its Extreme 105 package, which offers 105 Megabits per second downloads.
In markets where Extreme 105 is available, Comcast is offering a 12-month promotional price of $105 per month, when bundled with cable TV. The company is also testing higher- and lower-priced offers with different configurations in various markets, although a company rep declined to specify those.
As of the end of September, Comcast was offering 105 Mbps to more than 25 million homes in markets where the operator has launched Xfinity branding. But for now the MSO is not actively marketing the higher-speed tier, which offers 10 Mbps upstream. The operator's 50 Mbps service is available to more than 40 million homes.
With about 83% of Comcast's footprint now upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0, "we are reinforcing our product superiority," Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said on the operator's Oct. 27 earnings call.
But Comcast can't lay claim to the fastest Internet in all markets anymore: Verizon last month grabbed the marketing trophy with a FiOS Internet package that provides 150 Mbps downstream. At about $200 per month, however, the service likely have limited appeal.
Meanwhile, Cablevision Systems' 101-Mbps Optimum Online Ultra is $84.95 or $104.95 per month depending on bundle options. Suddenlink Communications' 107-Mbps tier, available in limited markets, is $107 per month (bundled with TV or phone).
Comcast's promotional pricing for Extreme 105 makes it only five dollars higher than Extreme 50, which is $99.95 per month -- so existing customers of that tier are likely candidates to upgrade, as that would more than double their download speeds. The 105 Mbps service works with the same standard DOCSIS 3.0 modems Comcast uses for Extreme 50.
"The hope is [the 50- and 105-Mbps tiers] will spur developers to create applications that can take advantage of these speeds," such as telemedicine and high-performance gaming, Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas said.
This week, the Federal Communications Commission issued a report finding that 68% of subscribers' reported Internet access connections as of the end of 2009 were too slow to qualify as high-speed Internet, with less than 3 Mbps downstream and/or 768 Kilobits per second upstream. However, the data was based on subscribership rather than availability, so the report shed no light on what broadband speeds are available to consumers.
-
I have Docsis 3.0 50Mbps Comcast internet. It is blazing fast, no bottle-necks felt at all.
When I test on Speakeasy, SpeedTest, and Comcast, I consistently get from over 50Mbps and sometimes boost kicks it up in the 65-71Mbps range. The upload speeds aren't bad either.
My home network goes like this:
Arris Docsis 3.0 (has phone too) to Linksys E3000. I split that off to 3 desktop PC's, 3 laptops wireless, and 2 Sony PS3 that we game and stream Netflix on.
When we use this connection with multiple things using it, I never feel it slow down! It was the whole reason I got it; we have multiple PC's, PS3, Laptops, and even 3 iPhones that we let leach on it when we're home!
That said, I'm so pleased with this service that I'm going to upgrade to the 105Mbps when it comes to my area!
So don't kid yourselves about these higher tier connections having bottle-necks, etc., because you WILL FEEL the faster speed and it really shines when you have a big home network like I do.
Josh Smith - 3/20/2011 9:45:15 AM EDT -
It is a waste of money. Getting 105Mbps cable assumes that the traffic bottleneck is between Comcast and the home. Also, I would not want to be on the same street as those who actually get 105Mbps, since we are sharing the same cable.
David 08048 - 12/20/2010 2:18:24 PM EST
No related content found.
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
