Comcast begins rolling out a new version of gigabit internet service on Tuesday to Colorado customers that cuts the price of a similar broadband service nearly by half.

That’s because the new gigabit service, which is around $160 a month, uses a customer’s existing coaxial cable lines. Comcast’s original 2 gigabit service, which launched in Denver two years ago, uses fiber-optic lines, requires professional installation and costs around $300 per month.

“We’re pretty excited about this,” said Mike Spaulding, Comcast’s vice president of engineering. “Obviously, this is a big step forward on speed.”

With the software upgrades, Comcast can quadruple coaxial’s 250 mbps previous maximum. Translation: Download a two-hour movie in 8 seconds with the 1 gig service, compared to 60 to 90 seconds with typical broadband, according to Comcast.

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July 15, 2016 Comcast expands $9.95 internet to 49,182 more Coloradoans Colorado is among a new batch of areas to get Comcast’s updated DOCSIS 3.1 technology, which requires a modem upgrade. The service first launched in Atlanta in March 2016. Last month, Utah became the first to get gigabit statewide.

By the end of 2016, the number of gigabit connections was expected to grow 10 times to 10 million users, according to a forecast by Deloitte Global, a consulting firm. Comcast’s expansion follows the lead of smaller providers, including Google Fiber, which launched gigabit in Kansas City, Kan., in 2011.

In Colorado, just a few competitors offer gigabit service, including NextLight from the city of Longmont, and CenturyLink, which also offers gigabit in select Denver neighborhoods. Google Fiber, which owns Webpass, also offers a hybrid wireless service to apartments and multi-unit buildings in Denver. NextLight, which charges $49.95 a month, says the gigabit service is now available to most residents in Longmont — and between 50 to 55 percent who can order it, do.

Ting Internet is currently working with the city of Centennial to offer gigabit to residents. It hopes to launch this fall, said Monica Webb, with Ting.

“Our pre-orders in Centennial are on par with our other markets,” Webb said.

In Colorado, Spaulding said that most Comcast customers get speeds of 100 mbps. One gigabit is 10 times faster.

But even Spaulding admits that not every customer needs gigabit. Most computers and devices, he pointed out, can’t even handle gigabit speeds. Customers who would see the most benefit already have multiple computing devices at home and multiple users who are gaming or binge watching Netflix and other internet TV. Gigabit may be overkill for many customers, he said.

“There’s not a lot of need for gigabit service for one customer to do one thing. But what it does is enable an even better experience as more devices in the home are streaming, whether it’s video or gaming or whatever they are doing in the home,” he said. “Most of our customers subscribe to the 100 mbps package today. Less than 10 percent of our customers are in the 200 to 250 mbps. We’ll see where one gig takes us.”

Of course, using internet to watch TV shows and movies could lead to reaching Comcast’s one-terabyte data cap, which was implemented in Colorado in November. Spaulding said that “less than 1 percent of customers reach the data cap.” And for those who near it, they get plenty of warning, he said. Subscribers who go over 1 TB are charged $10 for each additional 50 GBs, with a maximum charge of $200. An “unlimited option” with no data caps is $50 more per month.

Customers who want Comcast’s new gigabit service must upgrade their modem to one that can handle DOCSIS 3.1 technology. Comcast is happy to rent that to you for about $10 a month. Customers can also skip the monthly rental fee and buy a compatible modem, including the new Arris Surfboard SB8200 or the Netgear CM1000. Both are less than $200.

Comcast’s “everyday price” for the gigabit service is $159.95 without a contract. Comcast plans to run promotions that will discount the price to $109.99 per month in Colorado. Comcast also launched the new gigabit service on Tuesday in Northern California, Kansas City, Houston, Oregon, Seattle and southwest Washington.