Comcast is increasing Xfinity internet speeds in the northeast

If you have Comcast, fasten your seatbelt.

Comcast has announced that it's rolling out higher internet speed to many of its customers in the northeast. Four of the company's seven internet tiers will see speed increases: Performance, Performance Starter, Performance Pro, and Blast.

Most customers will see an increase of 50 megabits per second (mbps). That probably won't make a huge difference where activities like games and web browsing are concerned. But it'll make your life easier when torrenting or downloading large files, or if you share your internet connection with multiple other users.

The updates will roll out to 14 states, from Maine through Virginia and Washington D.C., throughout this month. Most customers will receive the update automatically. If you need to upgrade your modem, Comcast will notify you, and you can do so for no additional cost.

“With new devices coming online for consumers every day, we’re committed to offering the fastest speeds and the best features and overall experience so our customers can take advantage of the technology available,” said Kevin Casey, president of Comcast’s northeast division, in an emailed statement. “We’ve increased speeds 17 times in the last 17 years, and continue to invest to deliver a fast, innovative and reliable experience in and out of the home.”

This announcement comes just a day after Comcast launched its Gigabit internet service throughout the Houston area. Gigabit internet boasts download speeds of 1000 mbps, a far cry from the 250 mbps that Blast customers in the northeast will receive with this update.

“With this offering, Comcast will have the broadest deployment of Gigabit internet speeds throughout Houston,” said Ralph Martinez, senior vice president for Comcast’s Houston region, in a statement. “This is yet another proof-point that our broadband and Wi-Fi networks are powerful, flexible and built for speed."