Comcast Prepares to Roll Out Mind-Bogglingly Fast Internet

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Comcast’s cable Internet speeds could soon rival those of Google Fiber.

The company said it’s testing new cable technology that offers speeds of more than 1 gigabit per second. If you’re like me and don’t understand tech-talk, just know this: 1 gigabit is pretty darn fast.

It’s “at least 50 times faster than the typical broadband connection that most cable companies offer,” CNN Money said.

Comcast said it plans to roll out the new technology across the United States over the next few years. With more than 22.5 million subscribers across 39 states, Comcast is the country’s biggest Internet provider.

“Our intent is to scale it through our footprint through 2016,” said Robert Howald, Comcast vice president of network architecture, in an interview with FierceCable. “We want to get it across the footprint very quickly. … We’re shooting for two years.”

The upgraded technology, which will require a new cable modem to support the extra speed, could allow for speeds of up to 10 Gbps, according to The Washington Post.

It’s hard to put in perspective just how mindbogglingly fast 10 Gbps is. So let’s look at it this way: At current top speeds of 500 megabits per second, a Verizon customer can download an entire HD movie in roughly 15 seconds. At the speed of Google Fiber, that time would be shaved in half. Now, think about how quickly you could download that same film but with a connection that’s even 10 times faster than that.

Of course, lightning-fast Internet will likely cause your Comcast bill to skyrocket. Gigabit Pro, the company’s 2 Gbps fiber-based service, which is only available in select locations, is priced at $300 per month.

Howald declined to comment on the price of Concast’s planned 1 gigabit Internet service.

Do you have Comcast Internet? How much would you be willing to pay for faster speeds? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.

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