Comcast is planning to provide 2 Gbps Internet speed in Atlanta by next month to compete directly with Google Fiber. That speed is twice as fast when compared to the 1 Gbps speed that Google Fiber offers at the moment though it is not yet certain if the pricing will be competitive.
The service is called Gigabyte Pro, and just like Fiber, the provided speed is symmetrical, which means users will get 2Gbps speeds for both upload and download.
Following the launch of Gigabyte Pro in Atlanta, Comcast is planning to bring the service to over 18 million homes by the end of 2015 in the United States. With this big push by Comcast, Google will have no option but to kick its own Fiber service into full gear if it wants to compete effectively going forward.
“Our approach is to offer the most comprehensive rollout of multi-gigabit service to the most homes as quickly as possible, not just to certain neighborhoods,” said Doug Guthrie, SVP of Comcast Cable’s South Region. “We already provide the fastest speeds to the most homes and businesses in Atlanta, and access to Gigabit Pro will give our customers all the broadband capacity they need to stay ahead of future technologies and innovations.”
It is clear that Comcast is not interested in just following Google into bringing Gbps Internet to U.S. homes, but the company wants to surpass the search giant in a big way. We’d like to think Google doesn’t care much about this since the company makes most of its money from online advertising. And now with the new Net Neutrality Law, we have to wonder how long Google will stay as a network provider.
This revelation from Comcast should be seen as great news for the company, as it will likely help with boosting its image in the eyes of consumers. Over the past couple of years, Comcast has been viewed as an evil corporation, but that could change.
We should point out that folks who want to take advantage of Comcast’s new Gigabyte Pro plan must live in close proximity to the company’s Fiber network.
Source: [Comcast]
