Still waiting for Google Fiber to show up in your town? Well, Comcast's gigabit Internet might get there first.
The company announced last week it installed the first DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer's network in Philadelphia, kicking off a trial of its new, ultra-fast Internet service.
The DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) 3.1 specification is backward-compatible, meaning it works over Comcast's existing hybrid fiber-coaxial network and offers gigabit download speeds. "All we needed was a new modem, a software upgrade to the device that serves that neighborhood, and a few good engineers," Comcast's Executive VP and CTO Tony Werner wrote in a blog post.
This is in contrast to Google Fiber, which also offers gigabit speeds but requires the installation of new cable connections to customers' houses.
The upcoming service is different than Comcast's Gigabit Pro service, which brings 2Gbps Internet speeds, but only works in "close proximity" of Comcast's fiber network. The problem with Gigabit Pro is that it costs $300 per month with some pretty outrageous installation/activation fees.
Comcast plans to test the new gigabit technology in more homes "over the coming months" before it starts widely deploying it to customers. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen very soon; the company claims it will start offering a new gigabit speed service "before the end of 2016". There's no word on pricing; as far as coverage goes, Comcast says it's already conducting trials in Pennsylvania, Northern California and Atlanta, Georgia.