 |
 |
||
|
|
||
Comcast doubles download speeds for 'Internet Essentials' Comcast will soon double the maximum downstream speeds of its "Internet Essentials" program for low-income households while it also moves to accelerate the deployment of Wi-Fi-powered "Lift Zones" for students. Under the revised Internet Essentials offerings, new and existing customers on the plan will see speeds rise to 50 Mbit/s downstream (up from a previous max of 25 Mbit/s), starting March 1. Upstream speeds are also rising – to 5 Mbit/s from 3 Mbit/s.
Comcast launched Internet Essentials in 2011. The price has stayed the same as speeds for the offering for low-income households have increased through the years, from an original 1.5 Mbit/s downstream by 364 Kbit/s upstream to today's 50 Mbit/s by 5 Mbit/s.
(Image source: Comcast) Comcast said the price for Internet Essentials – a program that stems from a voluntary commitment tied to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011 that has connected more than 8 million people so far – will stay where it's been for 10 years: $9.95 per month. This marks the sixth time in 10 years (and the second time in less than a year) that Comcast has increased the speeds for Internet Essentials. The original Internet Essentials product delivered a mere 1.5 Mbit/s down by 364 Kbit/s up. Among other enhancements, Comcast has also added its cybersecurity product to Internet Essentials for no added cost. The cable op is also offering 60 days of free service to new Internet Essentials customers through June 30, 2021. In addition, Comcast is accelerating the deployment of Wi-Fi-powered "Lift Zones" in community centers, targeting rollouts of 1,000 Lift Zones around the country by the end of 2021. The updated plan puts the deployment plan a year ahead of its original schedule, Comcast said.
Comcast introduced its multiyear 'Lift Zones' program last fall.
(Image source: Comcast) Billed as a complement to the Internet Essentials program, Lift Zones provide free Wi-Fi to students in need of connectivity for distance learning, which has become increasingly pronounced during the pandemic. Comcast launched about 200 Lift Zones last year. The cable op also announced it has committed more than $40 million in cash to education and "equity-focused partners that share the company's goals of advancing social justice and equality." Partners benefiting from the financial commitment include organizations such as Per Scholas, Coded by Kids, Center for Black Innovation, Inner-City Arts and BUILD.org. Comcast is one of several US service providers that have expanded or enhanced broadband products for low-income households during the pandemic. Last month, for example, Verizon broadened the availably of Fios Forward, an Internet service for customers who qualify for the Lifeline government assistance program, after introducing the service on a more limited basis last April. Fios Forward starts at $19.99 per month for a 200 Mbit/s symmetrical broadband service. Related posts:
— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading, special to Broadband World News |
According to a new batch of Ookla Speedtest data, median speeds for the satellite broadband service temporarily dipped then climbed again. Meanwhile, the service's burst speeds appear to be on the rise.
Upstream consumption climbed 63% last year as peak usage shifted to business hours and away from a pre-pandemic surge typically seen during prime time. The nature of upstream usage has likely changed forever, OpenVault says.
Vendor says it already has commitments for the Total Access 5004 Micro-Cabinet, a product with big rural broadband ambitions.
Comcast's new ten-year investment plan to reach 50 million low-income households through community Wi-Fi projects, equipment donations and grants arrives on the ten-year anniversary of its Internet Essentials program.
In wake of amplifier licensing deal with Cisco, vendor has notched deals with Midco and Portugal's NOS – two operators in pursuit of 1.2GHz network capacity upgrades.
Industry Announcements
Broadband World Forum Perspectives
 As the Senior Digital Experience Strategist at Canadian operator Rogers Communications, Lindsey Omelon build on her years of marketing experience to approach her strategy with a hybrid ...
 
There's certainly no shortage of hype around the use of AI in the telecoms sector, but fewer instances of real-world deployments. South Korean national operator KT is one of those ...
Do a Google search of 'artificial intelligence broadband' and you'll get more than 9 million results in less than a second: The sheer volume of content out there shouldn't surprise anyone ...
Comcast, like any other major communications service provider, is undergoing significant changes in the way it grows its business, how it runs its business and the technologies it uses to ...
Five years ago, NOS board member Manuel Ramalho Eanes banked big on smart homes and smart cities.
 Twitter Feed WebinarsARCHIVED
Thursday, December 17, 2020
12:00 p.m. New York / 5:00 p.m. London Today’s access network architecture is under mounting pressure due to a continued surge in the number of connected devices, a proliferation of bandwidth-intensive customer applications and dramatic shifts in usage patterns related to the pandemic, such as work-from-home and e-learning. Learn why now is the right time for cable operators to build greenfield networks or expand their existing networks with 10G PON, arming customers with high-speed symmetrical broadband. Gain a clear understanding of the drivers impacting the access network and the various approaches being considered to deliver higher speed services. Plus, find out the best practices that operators are employing as they leverage the latest in passive optical technology to future-proof their networks. Topics to be covered include:
|
|
|
||
