Comcast Rolls DOCSIS 3.1 to More Businesses

Comcast Business said it has extended DOCSIS 3.1-based broadband services to small- and mid-sized businesses in the MSO’s Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions.

There, Comcast is pitching cap-free, business-class service tiers that delivers up to 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps in the downstream direction. 

Comcast Business has been asked for pricing detail for those tiers in those regions, but noted that it varies based on a business’s location or number of locations to be served. However, the company confirmed that general pricing started at $499 per month for the 1-Gig service, and $399 for the 500 Mbps offering, when the operator unleashed D3.1-based services in January in markets such as Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Nashville.

RELATED: Comcast Gets Down to Business With DOCSIS 3.1

The expanded reach of D3.1 to businesses covers areas such as Greater Boston; Greater Philadelphia; New Jersey; and northern Delaware; Baltimore, Md.; Charlottesville, Va.; and Washington, D.C.

Comcast Business also offers DOCSIS 3.1-based internet service in Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, Chattanooga, Huntsville and Miami. The operator said it expects to launch those offerings -- marketed as Business Internet 1 Gig and Business Internet 500 -- in the majority of its service areas throughout 2017 and into 2018.

Comcast is using D3.1 on its widely deployed HFC networks to complement fiber-based options that are also tailored for business customers.

Business services continues to be a strong growth driver for Comcast. In Q2, revenues in that segment rose 12.6%, to $1.5 billion.

“Comcast is building the nation’s largest gig-speed network. We have been at the forefront of DOCSIS 3.1 deployment and today’s roll out further demonstrates our commitment to bringing this transformational technology to all businesses in our footprint,” Kevin O’Toole, senior vice president of product management at Comcast Business, said in a statement.