Optimum To Offer 10Gbps Fiber Internet To All Of Its Customers By 2022
"Across the globe Altice has invested heavily in building state-of-the-art fiber-optic networks, and we are pleased to bring our expertise stateside to drive fiber deeper into our infrastructure for the benefit of our U.S. Optimum and Suddenlink customers," said Dexter Goei, Altice USA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Today, we have a best-in-class network with incredibly fast speeds and quality service, and by taking immediate steps to create the fastest next-generation network, we will be positioned to support our customers’ needs well into the future."
The five-year deployment plan kicks off in 2017. Altice USA expects to expand 10Gbps availability to every single Optimum subscriber by 2020, along with most of Suddenlink subscribers. The cable operator will announce initial rollout markets in the coming months.
Altice USA is no stranger to ultrafast Internet service. The company has been aggressive in rolling out faster services to its customers, having tripled Internet speeds to up to 300Mbps for residential customers and up to 350Mbps for business customers a year ahead of schedule.
Other ISPs should take notice. Altice USA acquired Suddenlink last year and then purchased Cablevision/Optimum earlier this year. The company is increasing its subscriber base at a rapid rate while simultaneously moving full steam ahead in its fiber-to-the-home initiative. And it's doing all this while its competitors are focused on delivering 1Gbps service through existing lines through a cable technology called DOCSIS 3.1. Altice USA is skipping over what it views as a stopgap solution and going straight to fiber.
The same mindset by Altice USA can be seen in other countries as well. Altice France is on pace to reach 22 million fiber homes by the end of 2022, while Altice Portugal will reach 5.2 million fiber homes by the end of 2020, making it the first European country to be fully equipped with fiber.
In the U.S., there is only one person known to have have 10Gbps Internet service in his home. He's a radiologist living in Tennessee who routinely works with extremely large files, such as X-rays averaging around 200 megabytes and PET scans and 3D mammograms that can reach as high as 10 gigabytes. Oh, and he plays a lot of Call of Duty, with the advantage of having the kind of low ping that comes from hosting online game sessions.