



Game play from Apex Legends

Many companies are currently working on a wide variety of gaming services. Cox Cable has now thrown their hat into the ring and is currently testing a gaming network service that would reduce lag, ping spikes, and jitter.Cox Cable’s “Elite Gamer Service” reportedly speeds up the connection between the player and desired gaming server. The Elite Gamer Service is not a “fast lane” service and does not “prioritize Internet use”. It relies on WTFast technology to find the shortest available route to send data. The company insists that they do not plan on introducing any “fast lane” services in the future.Cox claims that that service will produce “34% less lag, 55% fewer ping spikes, and 45% less jitter”. Users will also be able to access a dashboard that will provide them with their real-time and past connection information. At the moment, the service only supports select games such as Fortnite Overwatch , and Apex Legends . Support for other games may be added if the service proves to be popular.The service will be $15 USD a month for two users. Gamers must be Cox Internet Preferred 100 Internet customers. The Elite Gamer Service is a separate subscription from Cox’s services like cable television or high-speed Internet. The service is currently being tested in Arizona and the trial will run for three weeks. It is only available to Windows PC users. If the trial is successful, the service will likely be first offered in select markets.The new gaming service has already received a fair amount of criticism. Many customers fear that Cox will slow down the Internet connection for gamers who have not paid for the service. Although Cox claims that their new service is not a “fast lane”, there does seem to be some form of usage prioritization. Others have argued that Internet companies could begin charging customers for faster access to video and music streaming services.After net neutrality had been squashed by the FCC in the United States, many believed that Internet providers would start charging companies for enhanced access. It was feared that companies like Netflix would either become difficult to access or more expensive. Ironically, Internet providers like Cox Cable have decided to instead directly charge the customer for premium speeds and services.