Comcast doubles download Internet speeds for most Houston customers

Comcast has doubled the Internet download speeds for many of its Houston-area residential customers, without a corresponding bump in the price, the company said Friday.

Internet service subscribers who have a 50-megabits-per-second connection will now get 105-Mbps download speeds. Those who pay for 25-Mpbs service will get 50- Mbps service. And those paying for Comcast's top-tier Extreme service will go from 105 to 150 Mbps.

Upload speeds were not increased, a Comcast spokesman said.

Customers may need to power their cable modems off and back on to activate the increase.

Some Comcast markets in California, Kansas and Missouri also had their speeds doubled.

Comcast last doubled speeds in the Houston-area market in March 2013.

Comcast is hoping to win federal regulatory approval for a $45.2 billion merger with Time Warner Cable.