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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.
Qualcomm's X16 modem could help gigabit LTE work in more places
While our wireless carriers bicker over who offers the fastest service, Qualcomm went and pulled back the curtain on the Snapdragon X16 modem, a dry sounding bit of networking tech with huge implications. With it comes the promise of insanely fast gigabit LTE download speeds... but shouldn't hold your breath waiting see your Ookla Speedtest results shoot through the roof.
Google rolling out free gigabit internet in public housing
Google started its gigabit Fiber program in Kansas City and now some of the area's low-income residents will be first to get the service for free. The company is now hooking up homes in Fiber neighborhoods as part of its pledge to the White House's ConnectHome initiative. The program will help school-age kids study using the internet so they have the same opportunities as kids from more well-off families. "We've wired 100 homes with Fiber, and families can sign up today to access the Internet at up to 1,000 Mbps," said Google Fiber VP Dennis Kish in a blog post.
Comcast's gigabit internet makes its way to Atlanta
The slow march toward blazing fast internet is upon us, and Comcast is bringing its DOCSIS 3.1 gigabit service to a few more cities. Soon the fine people of Atlanta and Nashville will be able to (likely) pay through the nose for the ultra-speedy connectivity, with it opening up to those in Chicago, Detroit and Miami in the back half of the year. It's worth noting that good number of those are cities where the company has bandwidth cap tests in place.
A chat with the folks bringing free gigabit WiFi to NYC
We've been charting the progress of LinkNYC for the past year -- from a mere concept to a legitimate replacement for New York City's payphones. Now as LinkNYC has begun installing its gigabit-speed wireless hotspots, I sat down with Colin O'Donnell and Dave Etherington of Intersection, the company behind the project, to discuss their progress so far. On top of providing free internet, the kiosks will also offer smartphone charging, free voice calls, and local information. Of course, it's all ad-supported. It's always been an intriguing concept, but LinkNYC is now coming into focus as a potentially groundbreaking upgrade for all New Yorkers. Its blistering fast gigabit speeds is significantly faster than any commercial ISPs (even Verizon FiOS), and LinkNYC isn't planning to limit users in any way. In fact, as O'Donnell and Etherington tell us, they wouldn't mind it if the service actually replaced people's home internet provider.
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]
You'll soon watch 4K live sports with HDR... in Canada
You might think that Japan, South Korea or the US would be the most enthusiastic about 4K live sports, but nope: right now, that distinction goes to Canada. The country's largest cable firm, Rogers, has unveiled a 4K strategy that reportedly includes the "world's largest" support for 4K live sports with high dynamic range (HDR) color. Every 2016 home game for the Toronto Blue Jays (which Rogers owns) will air in 4K with HDR, while more than 20 "marquee" NHL games will also display in 4K. If you're not fond of baseball or hockey, you'll be glad to know that 4K shows from Netflix and Shomi will be part of the mix. While this content won't start arriving until next year (starting with a Canadiens/Maple Leafs hockey match in January), it's at least on the cards.
Google Fiber considering Irvine, Louisville, and San Diego for expansion
Google has announced that it is considering rolling out its high-speed Fiber internet service to three additional American cities. The company stated on its Fiber blog on Thursday that it hopes to enter a joint planning process with the cities of Irvine, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and San Diego, California. "We'll work with Irvine, Louisville and San Diego to conduct a detailed study of factors that affect construction," wrote Jill Szuchmacher, Director, Google Fiber Expansion, "such as local topography, housing density, and the condition of existing infrastructure."
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.
22 Massachusetts towns will build their own gigabit internet service
The FCC made it clear that towns should have the freedom to build their own broadband services, and one cooperative group is determined to take advantage of that liberty. WiredWest has gained the support of 22 Massachusetts towns for a municipal broadband effort that will give them all fiber optic service. It won't be the cheapest option, but it'll be much faster than the pokey DSL, fixed wireless and satellite data that residents have had to settle for in the past. It'll start at $49 per month for 25Mbps speeds and no caps, with 100Mbps and a lightning-quick 1Gbps respectively available for $79 and $109 per month.
TalkTalk's new (almost) gigabit broadband is actually affordable
While BT's broadband networks dominate the UK, other ISPs want to avoid giving their rival any more money by creating their own. Just yesterday, Virgin Media announced it had begun installing 152Mbps connections across Manchester as part of a £3 billion UK expansion, but now TalkTalk is going one better with the launch of Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband in York. Although it's effectively a gigabit service, TalkTalk has steered away from using the term, choosing instead to brand it under the UFO name. Homes and businesses in the city will enjoy up to 940Mbps, which is over six times faster than Virgin Media's current theoretical limit and 12 times quicker than BT's current fibre allocation.
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.
Comcast's gigabit internet hits northern California in June
Comcast is bringing its twice-as-fast-as-Google-Fiber internet service to northern California. Potential customers will need installation of professional-grade equipment to access it and, you'll have to be near its fiber network -- Fresno, Monterey, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area are among the places on the list -- to qualify. That's not all, either. Statewide, it's rolling out a 250 Mbps "Extreme 250" speed tier for cable internet customers. The telecom giant's also boosting speeds on its existing tiers as well, with lower priced-plans getting jumps from 25 to 45 Mbps depending on the package at no added cost. Perhaps the best news about all this is that you won't have to wait too much longer for it all to take effect. Comcast says it'll start the cable internet upgrades in May with continued rollouts taking place the rest of the year, while the 2Gbps fiber service starts rolling out in June. And just like that, there's another gigabit competitor in Google HQ's vicinity with Fiber nowhere in sight. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
AT&T's gigabit internet arrives in Apple's backyard
It's official: AT&T is offering full-fledged gigabit internet service in Silicon Valley before Google. After months of teasing, the telecom has launched its U-verse GigaPower service in Cupertino, Apple's home turf -- and a quick drive away from Google's headquarters, we'd add. Get ready to pony up if you're in the area, though. Gigabit access costs $110 per month by itself, and that's if you agree to AT&T's Internet Preferences (read: targeted ads). In other cities, it costs as little as $70. Still, this may hit the sweet spot if you're a local tech worker who just can't wait to download the latest test releases. [Image credit: Franco Folini, Flickr]
