Comcast to extend 3mbps trials

Dom · Aug 6, 2003, 07:10 PM

The new 30-day trial will begin Thursday in Pittsburgh for subscribers who pay $42.95 a month on top of basic cable TV service. A separate 3mbps test is already under way in Knoxville, Tenn. A company representative would not comment on whether Comcast plans to eventually offer 3mbps service to all of its subscribers.

"The reason (for the trial) is to determine how the change affects the network, how users value increased speeds and to help us develop the broadband experience for the future," Comcast spokeswoman Sarah Eder said.

Eder declined to comment on whether 3mbps plans might be offered as a more expensive option to Comcast's standard service.

The trials highlight the ongoing features war between broadband competitors--in this case, Comcast's cable modems and Verizon Communications' DSL (digital subscriber line) service. Because of their overlapping markets, both companies have toyed with boosting service perks in an attempt to lure more customers.

DSL providers, namely Verizon and SBC Communications, have been slashing prices in hopes of attracting new customers and stealing cable subscribers from rivals.

In May, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a speech that speed hikes would be one critical factor in differentiating service from that of competitors.

"We should not be satisfied with 1.5mbps of speed," Roberts said, referring to the standard download speed that Comcast offers.

Indeed, some cable providers are already offering faster broadband speeds. Cablevision Systems, which serves areas outside New York, averages 3.5mbps and has been clocked as fast as 6.3mbps for its download speed, according to Broadbandreports.com, a Web site that tracks industry trends. Comcast was clocked at speeds of 1.7mbps.

DSL companies typically offer lower speeds or charge higher prices for comparable service. Verizon, for example, charges download speeds of up to 768kbps for $34.99 a month. The company also offers a premium service that promises downloand speeds of up to 1.5mbps for $59.99.

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Source: C|net

DriveEuro · Aug 6, 2003, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dom
"We should not be satisfied with 1.5mbps of speed," Roberts said, referring to the standard download speed that Comcast offers.

PSH, and how many day to day users actually use that complete bandwidth. I play games and download all at the same time and I have comcast and I rarely hit 217kb/s (my max). Why need more bandwidth when most people don't even use it all. Granted I wish I could upload faster than 34kb/s but still. Most users don't need speeds that are even this fast.

digerati · Aug 6, 2003, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DriveEuro
PSH, and how many day to day users actually use that complete bandwidth. I play games and download all at the same time and I have comcast and I rarely hit 217kb/s (my max). Why need more bandwidth when most people don't even use it all. Granted I wish I could upload faster than 34kb/s but still. Most users don't need speeds that are even this fast.

Because if more companies use faster speeds it well let people like me download faster than 155k and upload faster than 12k. All our cable and DSL providers out here have all the exact same speed, and cable is 5 dollars more expensive for the 1.5mbit down 128k up. So if more companies get on the bandwagon, it should cause higher speeds for people like me.

Dyre Straits · Aug 6, 2003, 10:12 PM

My own Comcast Cable Broadband speeds are around 2500K down and almost 300K up. I'm not sure if Atlanta is in the testing or not, but really should be.

Aug 6, 2003, 07:10 PM	#1
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Comcast to extend 3mbps trials The new 30-day trial will begin Thursday in Pittsburgh for subscribers who pay $42.95 a month on top of basic cable TV service. A separate 3mbps test is already under way in Knoxville, Tenn. A company representative would not comment on whether Comcast plans to eventually offer 3mbps service to all of its subscribers. "The reason (for the trial) is to determine how the change affects the network, how users value increased speeds and to help us develop the broadband experience for the future," Comcast spokeswoman Sarah Eder said. Eder declined to comment on whether 3mbps plans might be offered as a more expensive option to Comcast's standard service. The trials highlight the ongoing features war between broadband competitors--in this case, Comcast's cable modems and Verizon Communications' DSL (digital subscriber line) service. Because of their overlapping markets, both companies have toyed with boosting service perks in an attempt to lure more customers. DSL providers, namely Verizon and SBC Communications, have been slashing prices in hopes of attracting new customers and stealing cable subscribers from rivals. In May, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a speech that speed hikes would be one critical factor in differentiating service from that of competitors. "We should not be satisfied with 1.5mbps of speed," Roberts said, referring to the standard download speed that Comcast offers. Indeed, some cable providers are already offering faster broadband speeds. Cablevision Systems, which serves areas outside New York, averages 3.5mbps and has been clocked as fast as 6.3mbps for its download speed, according to Broadbandreports.com, a Web site that tracks industry trends. Comcast was clocked at speeds of 1.7mbps. DSL companies typically offer lower speeds or charge higher prices for comparable service. Verizon, for example, charges download speeds of up to 768kbps for $34.99 a month. The company also offers a premium service that promises downloand speeds of up to 1.5mbps for $59.99. ___________________ Source: C\|net