And we're off: Twin Cities get first DOCSIS 3.0 deployment

Although we just heard that Comcast's DOCSIS 3.0 rollout was on track for 2009, folks in the Twin Cities region now have exclusive bragging rights for an undisclosed window of time. Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota have become the first markets to have access to an all new "extreme" broadband (or wideband, as it were) connection, which promises 50Mbps down / 5Mbps up. As expected, the carrier isn't being modest about the launch, claiming that users can suck down a 4GB HD movie "in about ten minutes," compared to "more than six hours" on a 1.5Mbps DSL connection. The newfound speed won't come cheap -- for residential users, look to lay down $149.95 per month for the privilege. Even if you aren't springing for the good stuff, current customers in the area will have their existing broadband connections hastened gratis, with 6Mbps / 384Kbps users moving up to 1Mbps uploads and 8Mbps / 768Kbps users seeing 2Mbps uploads. Kudos, Twin Cities -- you just made most of America sick with envy.

[Image courtesy of TheRedWoodMotel]

[Esat @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:15AM]

By the time I get this speedy goodness for myself here in the UK the human race would have been wiped out by the termite people.

A guy in a tinfoil hat wearing nothing but a wooden barrel told me outside of Mc Donalds this morning.

[Gav @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:04AM]

Virgin Media are rolling out a DOCSIS 3.0 based 50Mbps later on this year. They've been running trials for what seems like forever. (They've also been trialling 100Mbps)

They'd have probably done it sooner, but they have the small problem of operating with £6Billion of debt.

[Ray @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:34AM]

Want fast internet?
Consider moving to Asia

e.g. Hong Kong
(which you can get 100mb/s up AND down Fiber Optic connection for just US$30)
If you find a job there and live 7 years in a row, citizen you are.

Japan has even faster internet, but it’s difficult to move in.

[Esat @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:07AM]

I used to be with virgin media. their customer service was beyond terrible. I wish BT would hurry up and get their act together....

[kev @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

Ray,

It's easy to move to if you're a student and/or actually have a technical background...

If you're a liberal arts major...well, your only role would be to try to teach them English.

[Mark @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:14PM]

I'm in Japan (in the sticks) and have a 100Mbit up/down Fibre line. I pay about $50 a month though so that seems expensive!

[Timerider @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:17PM]

And by the time I can get any high-speed at all the sun will have burned out.
@$%#!!

[erhan @ Apr 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

'Ryan'
"If you find a job there and live 7 years in a row, citizen you are."

citizen you are??? What are you, Yoda?

[Maff @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:15AM]

150 bucks for 50mbps?
that's really expensive in comparison to what Virgin Media here in the UK are going to be charging (around 40 quid which is 80 bucks)

[pal @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:49AM]

yeah that's expensive in US too..
I pay $55/mo for my Optimum online with boost connection here in NJ. I get 30Mbps down and 5Mbps upload.

And if you are a new customer and opt for all three services with them (cable, phone and internet)... this same connection will only cost you $40/mo for the first year..

pal :)

[UKNigel @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:14AM]

It's especially expensive when you consider the symmetrical 100Mbps connections available in Tokyo for less than $30 a month. DSL is already capable of 250Mbps downstream, and here I am sitting on 1.5Mbps. It's crazy how much the ISPs can soak us for a product that's far less than what they are capable of offering.

[Alex @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:31AM]

Indeed, DOCSIS 3.0 is already in use by Virgin Media.

[Zmitten @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:32AM]

TORRENT!

I mean.. literally!

[Reader @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:00AM]

Torrents are an exception, they only get 56k download speeds.

[colek42 @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:35AM]

yes, but my bit torrent downloads still will not surpass 300k. I will not spend an extra $100 a month for comcast's greed. (It doesn't yet show that it is available when I type in my mpls address on their website)

[Leo M. @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:18AM]

solution = private trackers

[Graham @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:39AM]

Woo hoo! I live in St. Paul, finally I can be proud of something...

[Yevon @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:48AM]

Hey, we do have that mall. And, um, other malls... and cows...

[zargon @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:08AM]

Cows, we have cows? My wife's parents farm has cows... but they are in Wisconsin.

The Twin Cities is one of the largest IT markets in the country and we have a ton of major companies that call them self home in Minnesota. We also usually have the strongest economy and lowest unemployment rate.

Yeah... we really don't have that much as far as tourism goes. Though the MoA does have more people go through it in a year than Disney World, I think that is insane, especially since I don't think the MoA is anything really that special.

[toleraen @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:10AM]

Same here! Except I have the privilege of getting Charter instead... /grumbles

[Zmitten @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:42AM]

TORRENT!


I mean.. literally!

[zargon @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:48AM]

The Twin Cities seemed to be one of Time Warner's primary test bed, glad to see that Comcast is keeping up with that tradition!

[zargon @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:38AM]

Testing the upload right now at work, the limit has been raised. That is nice, 40 KB just didn't cut it.

[tundraboy @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:53AM]

I was so thrilled here in Mpls until I saw the price. That just about matches my current internet+HD cable bill from Comcast. I think they're pricing it so they don't take a hit when I get the Docsis and turn of the HD Cable. Greedy monopolist bastards.

[daemonios @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:54AM]

I'd like to see that tested. When you're paying 150 bucks (150 bucks!!!!!!) for your connection it had better live up to expectations. Do COMCAST use traffic shaping? Can you use that speed anywhere outside their network?

BTW, there's an ISP in Portugal who's offering 60mbps dl/5mbps ul over optic fiber (plus phone and tv). I haven't tested it, but it costs €50 - even with the dollar depreciating, it's still a LONG way from USD 150.

[An_asshole @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:24AM]

As a note, it seems that the Sandvine traffic shaping has already been turned off in St. Paul and the upload cap on 8m connections has already been lifted. Not that I would use that nasty BitTorrent protocol for anything.

[Wwhat @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:34AM]

"do comcast use traffic shaping?" did you just ask that? Have you been living under a rock?

[buttabean @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:56AM]

meh you'll be lucky to get that speed from any source. I've got boost from optonline which is 30mbps down 5mbps up which I hardly ever get anything near. Only site ive ever pinned the needle were when testing the speed at broadbandreports or nzone or ati website. you can only download video drivers so often though :)

[telepheedian @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:21AM]

If you want to max it out, I would try downloading some demos off of Steam, they seemed to be maxing out my connection pretty well, although TBH I'm using a standard cable connection run through my city. I got about 500k down at its highest point, faster than I have ever gotten anywhere else.

[Alex @ Apr 3rd 2008 4:10PM]

Use something like FreeDownloadManager for http downloads. Ive been able to max out or come close to my 15mbit download from multiple sites because it opens up multiple connections for the download.

Sites that would normally give me 500KB/s - 600KB/s jump to 1700KB/s - 1800KB/s with it.

Also a good news server would probably come close to maxing out your connection as well.

[Jake @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:03AM]

Twin Cities, huh? I wonder if that love will spread up to Fargo, ND?

[sburko @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:20AM]

wth, I thought I was the only one from ND that read engadget. Third least populated state ftw

[Chroma @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:21AM]

It won't come to St. Cloud, so me thinks no in ND.
It's unfortunate for both of us :(

[Pip @ Apr 3rd 2008 3:40PM]

Yeah, the internet here at SCSU isn't that fast.

Luckily, I come home to a 50Mbps connection.

[Y0ssar1an @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:10AM]

Isn't a 4GB HD movie an oxymoron (or a short?)

[J @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:20AM]

I would assume this would be encoded in something other than MPEG-2. 4 GB would get you about an hour if it was in H.264. However, more likely, the guy giving the quote meant a standard def DVD (4.7 GB) and wants to sound advanced, so he called it a HD movie.

The important part about this is not the 4GB movie, it's them comparing apples to oranges. "We're faster than DSL." OK, how much faster are you than FiOS, or even U-Verse?

[Nate @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:01AM]

4gb would be a small. Most NTSC anamorphic movies on DVD are between 5 and 6gb when decrypted from DVD. Examples: Bad Boys 2 5gb / Transformers 6.6gb / X-Men 2 - 6gb.

[Justin @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:11AM]

Is this so called 50Mbps subject to Comcast's craptacular routing like we get here on the east cost? I'm supposed to be getting 6Mbps, but since just about all Comcast traffic goes through about 12 hops before hitting a border router out to the internet, I rarely get half of that after numerous calls and visits from their technicians.

I'll take a 5Mbps fiber link to my back yard any day.

[Jake @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:12AM]

Big woop. I get 20 down 5 up with FIOS all for $45/mo.

[DarkMagus @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:22AM]

I am with you Jake. FIOS is the better price for internet. Comcrap needs to get their act in gear on price and customer service or Verizon will be taking their market share.

[zargon @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:41AM]

While Comcast may need to get their ass in gear, so does Verizon, they need to get their FIOS to more people... i.e. ME!

[fashionista @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:20AM]

FIOS is a hoax. They've rolled it out to, what, 12 people?

[Jared @ Apr 3rd 2008 11:01AM]

Living in the Twin Cities, it is unfortunate that Verizon isn't available :(

[darkstar @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:16AM]

try downloading 30gb a day and see what comcast would do!
they didnt like what i was doing and called to threaten me. either pay more money than what was already highway robbery OR they would terminate my service. i switched over to Verizon and happily ever after...

[benjesuit @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:17AM]

15 down 2 up with Cablevision's optimum online in NY,NJ,CT for $45/month. Verizon Fios has limited deployment but there is no 20 down offering for $45. There's a 30 down for $160. Check their website:

http://www22.verizon.com/content/consumerfios/packages+and+prices/packages+and+prices.htm

[Jake @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:22AM]

In some townships where Verizon wanted to compete with Cablevision here in NJ they offered special pricing. It's not on their website, I know. Like I said, I get 20down/5up.

[Shiftlock @ Apr 3rd 2008 9:45AM]

Actually, for an extra $15/month ($65/month total), those of us lucky enough to be in Cablevision area can get Optimum's Boost service, which provides 30Mbps down and 5Mbps up, and opens port 25 and 80 for running mail and web servers (yes, they allow it). Rarely do I see over 15Mbps down, but it does happen on particularly fast downloads, and 8Mbps down is common for Torrents that are well seeded.

[JayMonster @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:22AM]

Yeah, and they will try and stuff all of the traffic through 2 gateway points effectively throttling entire neighborhoods or cities.

Comcast's "theoretical" upload/downloads speeds have always been a joke, speeds that you only get when you are the only person in your "segment" but as soon as your neighbors get it, the speed is lost.

Not to mention the slowdown as they sniff every packet to determine if they are going to "shape" your traffic or not.

Envious? Not of Comcast users, not at any speed.

[Redbeard @ Apr 3rd 2008 12:15PM]

i have absolutely no problems at all maxing out my connection, any time, day or night... the problem comes from where you're sourcing data. all of the places i'm grabbing data from are directly peered with comcast.

[Henry @ Apr 3rd 2008 8:26AM]

I can't even get cable where I live yet :-(