Comcast is about to roll out gigabit-plus internet speeds for both upload and download without needing fiber upgrades that run all the way to the house. The company will offer a new “X-Class” service upgrade that supports up to 2 Gbps downloads and uploads starting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, next week. The city was one of the first places that Comcast launched its 2 Gbps internet service last year, although at that time, it still only supported 200Mbps uploads.
Comcast started testing symmetrical multi-gigabit DOCSIS 4.0 technology in 2022 using multiple cable modems and a 10-gig node (which is used for the Xfinity 10G brand name to highlight what’s theoretically possible, even if it’s not happening any time soon).
Comcast says “tens of millions” of homes already have the connections needed to support service with the technology with 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and 2 Gbps tiers. According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, the 300Mbps tier will cost $55 per month, including equipment rentals, and up to $115 per month on the 2 Gbps option.
Fiber broadband speed offerings have jumped quickly over the years, with services like Verizon’s FiOS offering 500 Mbps internet in 2013 to almost 1 Gbps by 2017. And today, Verizon offers 2 Gbps while Google Fiber, AT&T, and Frontier are offering 5 Gbps internet. There’s even an 8 Gbps option by Optimum available in the New York / Tri-State area.
After the Colorado Springs launch, Comcast will then bring X-Class service to Atlanta and Philadelphia by the end of the year and then to “new markets” nationwide over the next few years. Comcast will reach out to customers in the area where the new service will go live.
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