Comcast claims it will bring gigabit to entire footprint in two years

A top Comcast executive claimed the company will upgrade its entire cable network footprint with DOCSIS 3.1 technology within the next two years. This technology is a faster version of the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification and can support speeds of 10 Gbps. The company plans to begin market trials later this year.

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

The DOCSIS 3.1 service will be in addition to Comcast’s currently faster Gigabit Pro service, which is deployed on a fiber-based network and offers speed up to 2 Gbps for around $300 per month plus installation and activation fees.

Comcast’s claims to bring new technology to customers have in the past been overstated. When the company promised to make Gigabit Pro available to 18 million customers within a year, customers found the service difficult to find or qualify for. In one instance, the company cited high construction costs as it refused to bring the service to customers living less than a quarter of a mile from the nearest fiber connection point – within the range of Comcast’s commitment.

Comcast planning gigabit cable for entire US territory in 2-3 years (Ars Technica, Aug. 24, 2015)

Comcast: We’ll cover our entire footprint with 10 Gpbs-cable DOCSIS 3.1 tech as soon as 2018 (FierceCable, Aug. 21, 2015)

Comcast Finds Excuses to Avoid Installing Gigabit Pro Fiber; Construction Costs Seem to Matter (Stop the Cap!, July 30, 2015)