Comcast's Answer to Google Fiber Falls Short Comcast has formally taken the wraps off of its plan to offer gigabit cable service, but at first glimpse it falls well short of Google Fiber, telco fiber, and municipal broadband alternatives. Comcast's new gigabit option was recently launched in Atlanta, and is slated to arrive in Nashville in a few months. The ultra-fast service is also scheduled to launch in Chicago, Miami and Detroit later this year. But Comcast's attempt to compete with Google Fiber is marred by a few notable weaknesses.

For one, the company's service may offer a gigabit downstream, but is stuck at 35 Mbps upstream, putting it at a competitive disadvantage to fully symmetrical fiber. This may ultimately be remedied by full duplex DOCSIS 3.1 technology, but such solutions remain a few years away But the service's biggest problem? It will also feature caps, which you can only avoid if you sign a long-term contract. With its initial launch in Atlanta, Comcast has tried to force users into a three year contract by making it the only way to avoid usage caps. Users that sign this contract can get the company's gigabit service for $70 a month. Refuse the contract, and you'll not only pay twice that, but you'll be subject to usage caps -- or the $30-$35 monthly fee Comcast now charges its customers to avoid them. While cable's continued asymmetrical upstream speeds are no fault of Comcast's, the company's continued pursuit of extremely unpopular usage caps certainly is, and continues to fuel major anti-Comcast sentiment among the company's customers. Comcast's of course hoping to lock users into long-term contracts ahead of Google Fiber's Atlanta arrival, but it's unlikely this ploy continues to work once Comcast actually faces real competition. Comcast's Comcast's own documents admit that its usage caps aren't really necessary. What they are is a glorified rate hike applied to uncompetitive markets to help protect legacy TV revenues from Internet video. That ploy obviously doesn't work quite as well when actual competition comes to town.







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Most recommended from 58 comments



wavelength

CyberSec Pro

join:2015-05-22

Raleigh, NC ·Google Fiber

Juniper SRX240

Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

24 recommendations wavelength Member What about cogestion management?!?! The service will also feature usage caps -- but only if you refuse to sign a long-term contract.



This is what happens when you let non-engineering MBA-type people run a product that is heavy on engineering concepts. Whoops, Comcast, you tipped your hand again. If caps were truly about "congestion management," you wouldn't be offering no caps with a contract.This is what happens when you let non-engineering MBA-type people run a product that is heavy on engineering concepts.

camper

just visiting this planet

Premium Member

join:2010-03-21

Bethel, CT 9 recommendations camper Premium Member Why is Comcast so utterly clueless when it tries to compete?

Has Comcast become so enamored with the monopoly/duopoly it has enjoyed (and still is enjoying) across most of its footprint, that it just does not know what competition is about?

alchav

join:2002-05-17

Saint George, UT 8 recommendations alchav Member The Infrastruture of the Future is Fiber! Everyone just has to realize this fact, FTTH is the Future. I thought AT&T made a big mistake, but even they are getting on the Fiber Bandwagon with their GigaPower. So now in order for the Cable Companies to compete like you guys say, they have to design a Fiber solution. I guess if they do, they won't be a Cable Companies anymore.

djrobx

Premium Member

join:2000-05-31

Valencia, CA 7 recommendations djrobx Premium Member "at first glimpse it falls well sure of Google Fiber"



At least Comcast is making some effort to compete. Better than the telcos who are, for the most part, just letting their DSL lines rot. TWC rolled out Maxx, and AT&T's response is ... crickets. Karl, I think you meant, "short". The beat up Comcast van is WAY too funny!At least Comcast is making some effort to compete. Better than the telcos who are, for the most part, just letting their DSL lines rot. TWC rolled out Maxx, and AT&T's response is ... crickets.