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Comcast begins gigabit internet trial in Chicago
Comcast has already revealed its plans to bring gigabit internet service to Atlanta and Nashville, and now it's now offering the option in Chicago on a trial basis. Like those other two cities, the cable company will use a DOCSIS 3.1 modem to deliver the 1Gbps speeds over its existing infrastructure. The new service is priced at $140 a month without a contract, plus any adds taxes and fees. As Consumerist notes, Comcast doesn't mention the option to sign up for three years and get a discounted rate, but it does say that it will "test promotional pricing during the trial period."
Google Fiber buys a gigabit ISP that uses fiber and wireless
Hoping Google Fiber will come your way soon? The Alphabet subsidiary just made an acquisition that could help it roll out high speed internet faster. It agreed to purchase Webpass, a company that currently has "tens of thousands" of customers for high speed internet in the Bay Area, San Diego, Chicago, Boston and Miami. Webpass is notable because it's used high-speed point-to-point wireless technology as well as fiber to link up apartment buildings and businesses without having to wait for a physical link, and offers its customers speeds of up to 1Gbps.
Comcast brings its gigabit internet service to Nashville
Comcast announced that it's beginning an "advanced consumer trial" of gigabit service in Nashville. It's the second area to roll out the DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem powered speeds after Atlanta, and it doesn't look like the policies have changed. Customers living in areas where it's available can get the 1Gb down / 35Mb up speeds for $70 with no bandwidth cap... if they're willing to agree to a 36 month service contract. Otherwise, a 1TB capped offering is available with no contract for $140 per month. As DSL Reports points out, the contract offering should keep customers tied up until whenever Google Fiber properly rolls out... almost as if it were planned that way.
Comcast starts rolling out gigabit internet access in Atlanta
At last, Comcast's promised gigabit internet rollout is starting in earnest. The cable giant is beginning an "advanced consumer trial" of the extra-quick, DOCSIS 3.1-based broadband in multiple Atlanta neighborhoods, with additional cities coming this year. You'll have to make a big commitment if you want in, though. It costs $70 per month if you lock yourself into a 3-year contract, and it's an eye-watering $140 per month if you want the freedom to leave at any time. And it gets worse: if you don't commit to that contract, you'll have to accept a 300GB monthly data cap that's trivially low for the speed. Assuming you max out your connection, you could blow through your limit in 40 minutes.
Google Fiber is coming to San Francisco
That sound you heard was the collective sigh of relief from legions of Bay Area tech workers. At long last, Google has announced that it's bringing Fiber to San Francisco -- the heart of the industry will finally get to see how Google's gigabit internet service works in practice, not just in tests. The company will use existing fiber optic deployments to wire up apartments and condos, and residents in affordable housing projects will get it for free.
Google Fiber comes to Alabama through a city-run network
Until now, Google has had to build Fiber's gigabit networks the hard way, either from scratch or by making deals to use some existing lines. It's about to try something new, though: the search firm is bringing Fiber to Huntsville, Alabama by using a not-yet-finished municipal network. Huntsville Utilities will "design and construct" the fiber optics, while Google and other providers will simply ride on top. There's no timetable for when Google Fiber will be ready (that's contingent on Huntsville), so you shouldn't expect to sign up any time soon.
Comcast switches on the first public gigabit cable modem
Comcast's gigabit internet access doesn't officially go live until sometime in 2016, but that isn't stopping the company from flicking the switch a little early. The cable giant recently activated what it says is the first public-facing DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem in the world -- a fortunate customer in Philadelphia now has the kinds of speeds that previously required either a partial fiber optic link or jumping through lots of hoops. There are additional tests running in parts of Atlanta, northern California and Pennsylvania, too.
AT&T expands its fiber internet service to 38 new cities
AT&T's mission to blanket most of the US with gigabit internet is moving at full speed. Today, the network revealed that its GigaPower fiber service is coming to 38 more cities, adding to the 18 metro areas it's already available in. The newly announced places include Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland and Memphis, along with 29 others. In a blog post, AT&T said that it's not done either, noting that it plans to bring GigaPower to over 14 million locations, both residential and commercial.
Broadband for the people, built by the people
Competition is good, especially when it comes to internet service providers. Unfortunately, it's also rare. According to the White House's community-based broadband report released earlier this year (PDF), 75 percent of customers looking for internet speeds of 25Mbps or higher had a choice between one provider or no service at all. It's especially bad for rural communities, where there's little incentive for major telecommunication networks to bother running lines. Fortunately, people across the world are beginning to take matters into their own hands, investing in municipally-owned companies to build out necessary services. The results often provide faster connections at lower prices than large ISPs would have offered and they frequently turn a profit. Although the FCC has voted to support net neutrality and preempted a few state laws that limit public expansion, lobbyists for large networks are trying to stifle development and 19 states still have restrictive laws in place. The struggle is real, but adequate broadband is essential in modern times. This week we've sampled a few community initiatives that've succeeded in taking control of their own connective destinies in the face of corporate lethargy.
Tennessee's 10Gbps broadband is $299 a month
Remember back when Chattanooga, Tennessee fought the FCC and Comcast earlier this year over broadband regulations? Of course you do. Now the city's back in the news because it's offering 10Gbps internet service that spreads across some 600 square miles and is accessible by "every" home and business. It'll cost those 170,000 homes and businesses, though. According to a release from local utility company EPB, that blazing fast speed will run $299 a month (pretty similar to Comcast) with gratis installation and without a contract. There'll apparently be 5Gbps and 10Gbps options for small businesses and 3Gbps, 5Gbps and 10Gbps pro-level packages for enterprise. Those prices will vary, but almost positively won't be "cheap" for folks like you and me by any stretch of the imagination. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Comcast's gigabit internet should be widely available by 2018
Don't despair if you're a Comcast customer jonesing for super-fast gigabit internet access -- it'll come your way eventually. The cable company's network architecture VP explains to FierceCable that the broadband technology needed for this kind of service (the DOCSIS 3.1 standard) should reach Comcast's entire customer base within two to three years, or no later than 2018. The current goal is to finish the rollout within two years, he says.
Cox continues rolling out its gigabit internet to US cities
Last May, Cox Communications announced that it would join Google and AT&T in offering residential customers gigabit-fast wired internet service to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Omaha. Today the service, dubbed "G1GABLAST", has finally arrived in Omaha and Las Vegas as well as parts of Orange County, California. "We started in Phoenix last fall, but we have not stopped there," Cox President Pat Esser said in a statement. "We are excited to have the choice of gigabit speeds available to more customers today, and we're adding new building projects every month." To that end, Cox has already increased the speeds of its High Speed Internet (HSI) Essential and HSI Starter plans over the past few months and intends to similarly boost its HSI Ultimate package later this year. The company also announced that communities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Virginia will be offered gigabit speeds by this summer with Cox's entire user base receiving the option by the end of 2016.
AT&T hopes to fight Google Fiber with gigabit internet in more cities
AT&T isn't letting Google Fiber's expansion plans go unanswered. The telecom giant has announced that it's looking at bringing its GigaPower internet service to as many as 21 additional big cities and their nearby municipalities. There's some potential for direct competition with Google, as both companies are looking into gigabit access for key urban areas like Atlanta, San Antonio and San Jose. However, it's clear that AT&T is taking some initiative here -- it's also exploring rollouts in Chicago, Los Angeles and other hubs that aren't currently on its rival's roadmap.
Google Fiber explores bringing gigabit internet to 34 new cities
Google has only made plans to roll out gigabit internet access in three US cities so far, but it's not content with stopping there. The company is now exploring the feasibility of deploying Google Fiber in 34 cities located around the major urban hubs of Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio and San Jose. In each case, Google will work with local officials to both map out its potential network and create a checklist of requirements. The search giant would like to bring Fiber to every one of the cities if possible. Be careful not to get your hopes up, though -- Google warns that it might not be practical to offer service in every territory. Even so, the potential for expansion should prove comforting to Americans worried that they're running out of choices for broadband providers.
