Comcast Readies 305Mbps Tier to Rival Verizon's Quantum FiOS Service
Watch out Verizon, Comcast is gunning for your ultra high-speed Internet customers. In response to Verizon's Quantum FiOS service, which tops out at 305Mbps downstream / 65Mbps upstream for $205 per month, Comcast is said to be readying a new 305Mbps downstream service tier, though a few important questions remain unanswered.
The first is obviously in regards to price. Verizon's top-tier offering isn't cheap, and presumably neither will Comcast's offering amount to pocket change, but can it trump Big Red's $205/month price tag? Unless broadband subscribers are really emphatic about having an additional 5Mbps on the downstream (305Mbps versus 300Mbps), then Comcast really needs to price its service competitively to entice customers away from Verizon.
Image Source: Flickr (Mr. T in DC)
Secondly is the upstream speed. It's all about upstream channel bonding, which is something that hasn't come all that easy for hardware vendors, but according to Broadband Reports, Comcast last year demonstrated upstream bonding tests that reached 75-100Mbps.
The other big unknown is whether or not Comcast will attach a data cap to its ultra high-speed tier. If so, it could completely negate the allure of blazing fast downloads for heavy users if it just means paying a premium to hit a data ceiling sooner in the month.
The first is obviously in regards to price. Verizon's top-tier offering isn't cheap, and presumably neither will Comcast's offering amount to pocket change, but can it trump Big Red's $205/month price tag? Unless broadband subscribers are really emphatic about having an additional 5Mbps on the downstream (305Mbps versus 300Mbps), then Comcast really needs to price its service competitively to entice customers away from Verizon.
Image Source: Flickr (Mr. T in DC)
Secondly is the upstream speed. It's all about upstream channel bonding, which is something that hasn't come all that easy for hardware vendors, but according to Broadband Reports, Comcast last year demonstrated upstream bonding tests that reached 75-100Mbps.
The other big unknown is whether or not Comcast will attach a data cap to its ultra high-speed tier. If so, it could completely negate the allure of blazing fast downloads for heavy users if it just means paying a premium to hit a data ceiling sooner in the month.
