Laurie Merrill

The Republic | azcentral.com

Lightning-fast Internet service is coming to metro Phoenix homes this fall when Cox Communications launches its new-generation gigabit delivery for residential customers.

The Phoenix region will be one of the first in the nation to get the new gigabit service, which delivers Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than basic broadband, which is 1 megabit per second.

Cox President Pat Esser announced the national rollout of its high-speed gigabit service on Thursday and said Omaha, Neb., and Las Vegas would join Phoenix as the first cities to get it.

The metropolitan Phoenix market, the private company's largest, should start getting access this fall.

"Starting today, we will begin deploying new technology and infrastructure that will give customers the choice of gigabit speeds," Esser said.

The company will begin providing gigabit speeds to its other markets across the country by the end of 2016. Some business customers already have gigabit service.

"We hear from (residential) customers they want more speed," Esser said.

Many Internet users, including computer gamers, want higher speeds for downloading large files, Esser said.

As more home appliances — everything from thermostats and refrigerators to washing machines and dryers — are connected to computers, such speeds will be in greater demand, he said.

Gigabit service will also make it easier to stream high-definition movies.

Esser announced the news on the construction site of Mark Taylor San Travesia Luxury Apartments on McDowell Road in Scottsdale.

The residential complex will be one of the first sites in the Phoenix area to get the gigabit service, which will be installed initially in residential communities under construction.

Currently, 70 percent of Cox residential customers use either Premier or Preferred Internet speeds.

Premier service provides 50 megabits per second, and Preferred offers 25 megabits per second.

The basic service provides 5 megabits per second.

In other announcements Thursday, Cox said that in July it will double the Internet speeds of the Premier and Preferred tiers to 100 and 50 megabits per second, respectively.

Officials also announced that later this year the company will launch Metro Wi-Fi service, which will be available in high-traffic areas, like restaurants and malls.

Cox customers will have access to 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country, Esser said.

Michael Bassoff, president of the TGen Foundation, which received a $3million donation from Cox several years ago, said that without Cox's "tremendous gigabit speeds," it wouldn't be possible for the company to map tissues and help treat cancer patients.

Cox's statements came on the heels of announcements this year by Google and AT&T, which are also beginning to offer gigabit service.

Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., announced in February that it would consider developing Google Fiber networks in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

The company will make is decision by the end of this year.

The cities last month cleared a first hurdle by submitting infrastructure reports to the Silicon Valley tech giant.

Google's fiber-optic network would provide data speeds of 1 gigabit.

AT&T in April announced it intends to expand its GigaPower service with speeds of 1gigabit per second to 21 metro areas nationwide, including Kansas City, Mo., and many of the same cities Google is targeting.

For cities, the high-speed networks are attractive because they could potentially boost economic development, attract entrepreneurs and support tele-medicine and online education interests.

Q&A

Question: Will customers have to upgrade their computers and/or modems to take advantage of gigabit service?

Answer: Cox recommends that customers have a Docsis 3 Modem. Cox provides these modems free to customers who subscribe to the company's high-speed Internet and telephone service.

Q: When will residential customers have access to Cox's gigabit service?

A: In the Phoenix area, some will have it as soon as this fall.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: Cox has not yet shared its pricing.

Q: After the Mark Taylor apartment project, who gets it next?

A: Cox plans to roll out gigabit service throughout metro Phoenix, targeting new residential construction projects first. Beyond that, the company has not explained how it will prioritize neighborhoods.

Q: How many customers does Cox have in Arizona?

A: Cox has more than 3 million customers in Arizona, and the Phoenix metropolitan area is the company's largest.

Q: What types of computers and users will benefit the most?

A: Users with new computers and tablets will benefit the most, as well as households that have multiple devices.

Q: Cox is doubling the speed of two Internet tiers. Will prices go up?

A: No. Customers who subscribe to Cox's Preferred and Premiums services don't have to do anything to take advantage of the faster service.

Q: I already have Wi-Fi in my home. What is Metro Wi-Fi? How is it different?

A: Cox Metro Wi-Fi will allow access to the Internet and e-mail when you are out and about in places such as ballparks, malls, etc.