Comcast’s Shauna Causey (a West Seattleite) forwarded the news release on these changes launching next month (mid-December in WS, she says) – you might be interested, if that’s your ISP: New megafast, costlier service (up to $139/month) plus potential speed improvements at current service levels:
COMCAST TO ROLL OUT 50 MBPS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE
IN WASHINGTON IN DECEMBERComcast Will Introduce Two New, Faster Speed Tier Options and
Will Double Speeds for Most Existing Customers For No Additional CostLYNNWOOD, WA, Nov 17, 2008 – Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced it is making the leap from broadband to wideband with the launch of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 in Washington. With wideband, Comcast will introduce a new echelon of Internet speed tiers, which will redefine the customer experience online and create a platform for Internet innovation in the years ahead.
In December, Comcast’s new services will be available to residential homes and businesses throughout the communities that Comcast serves. From Bellingham to Aberdeen to Bremerton and Spokane and all points in between, customers will be surfing the web even faster.
With wideband, Comcast will offer among the fastest speeds available today, including the Extreme 50 tier with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps. Wideband will also enable Comcast to double speeds for the majority of existing high-speed Internet customers at no additional cost.
“Wideband utilizes our fiber optic network that is already in the ground in neighborhoods across our footprint. With this next generation of service, our customers’ online experience is dramatically enhanced. Best of all, these faster Internet speeds are available to all of our customers throughout the state, no matter where they live,” said Len Rozek, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Washington market. “And this is just the beginning. Wideband, combined with our fiber optic network, gives us the capability of meeting the needs of our customers for many years to come by offering even faster speeds in the future.”
As part of the wideband deployment, Comcast will launch two new premium speed tiers to its residential and business class customers. Both new services are ideal for households or businesses simultaneously using several computers or Internet-connected devices. They also will appeal to those who simply want some of the fastest speeds available today:
New Residential Tiers
* Extreme 50, offering up to 50 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 10 Mbps of upstream speed at $139.95/month.*
* Ultra, offering up to 22 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 5 Mbps of upstream speed at $62.95/month.*With Extreme 50, Comcast customers will be able to download a high-def movie (6 GB) in about 16 minutes, a standard-def movie (2 GB) in about 5 minutes and a standard-def TV show (300 MB) in a matter of seconds. Customers with Extreme 50 also will be able to download digital photos, songs and games faster than ever.
In addition to the new speed tiers, Comcast also is increasing speeds for most of its existing customers.
* Performance tier customers will benefit from doubled downstream and upstream speeds, offering up to 12 Mbps and 2 Mbps, respectively.
* Performance Plus customers will be upgraded to Comcast’s Blast! tier, which will double their download speeds to up to 16 Mbps and provide up to 2 Mbps of upload speed.Plus, with PowerBoost® technology, customers are able to enjoy even faster speeds to download and upload files such as videos, games, music and photos.
New Business Class Tiers
Business customers will benefit from wideband with increased efficiency and productivity. Customers can sign up for the Deluxe 50 Mbps / 10 Mbps tier for $189.95/month, which includes a full suite of features and support. As part of their service, Comcast Business Class customers receive Microsoft Communications Services, providing corporate-class e-mail, calendaring and document sharing, as well as additional benefits such as firewall protection, static IP addresses, multiple e-mail addresses and business class 24/7 customer support. Existing business class customers also will receive complimentary speed increases—speeds on the Starter tier will be doubled to up to 12 Mbps / 2 Mbps and a new Premium Tier also will be introduced, offering speeds up to 22 Mbps / 5 Mbps for only $99.95/month.
For information on how to order the new speed tiers, Washington Comcast customers can call 1-800-COMCAST.
*Pricing for residential customers and requires subscription to Comcast Cable service.
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