The field of competitors in the race to provide San Antonio with faster fiber-optic networks is getting crowded, with Time Warner Cable jumping in Thursday.

The company announced it will provide its San Antonio customers — along with those in six other markets — upgraded Internet and TV services as a part of the expansion of their TWC Maxx network by the end of 2015.

The network, which is already established in Los Angeles and New York City and is in development in Austin, will increase Internet speeds for no additional costs for existing and new customers. TWC will also increase its on-demand library as well as the number of shows that can be recorded simultaneously on the DVR.

Internet speeds will be up to six times faster than they are now for customers in San Antonio. DVRs will be able to record six shows at once and store about 150 hours of high-definition shows.

The provider is converting to an all-digital system, providing digital converters to customers with cable boxes and turning all remaining analog channels to digital.

TWC said it'll analyze its network to determine where to replace, upgrade and install equipment.

TWC's announcement comes two days after AT&T announced it will roll out its high-speed GigaPower network in San Antonio.

Google also has interest in the San Antonio area. The company has sent an engineering team to meet with city staff and determine how a roll-out strategy for Google Fiber would look in San Antonio.

“This is the next generation of communications,” said Jeff Kagan, a telecommunications analyst. “The Internet drives everything. It's not just how you surf the Web anymore. It's how you watch TV — it's how you get telephone. You need speed.”

It is unclear which service will be available first. However, TWC is the only company that has publicly discussed a timeline.

“We are in a very competitive market and we know that,” TWC spokeswoman Melissa Sorola said. “We had planned this announcement months in advance to coincide with (Thursday's) earnings call.”

The way companies choose the cities to roll out their fiber networks is constantly changing, but some cities are offering incentives to providers to attract their services, Kagan said. San Antonio, however, isn't offering incentives.

“This is a marketplace that is going to take a while to unfold,” Kagan said. “The cities that get the speed first are going to have big competitive advantages. They're going to attract more residents, more companies, a bigger tax base. It's going to allow them to grow more aggressively.”

Comcast, which has been working on the acquisition of Time Warner Cable since February, hasn't turned a blind eye to fiber. Comcast unveiled a plan this month for a global fiber network with no timeline. The combination is not expected to affect TWC's plans to have Maxx in San Antonio.

“We're confident our plans for delivering faster speeds, more on-demand content and bigger DVR align really well with Comcast,” Sorola said.

San Antonio is lucky to have three providers looking at the area because the competition will create lower prices for customers, Kagan said.

“(Companies) need speed to compete; if you don't have speed you can't compete,” he said. “It's as simple as that.”

ttompkins@express-news.net