Having met its deployment promise to pass 20 percent of its customer base with DOCSIS 3.0 technology in 2008, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) is focusing on free speed upgrades for current customers and an uphill battle selling new, higher-speeds in a badly battered economy.
When the cable colossus announced its rollout plan, it was the first and largest such operator to do so. Its focus was on providing current customers fatter pipes without them having to change CPE – namely cable modems.
More recently, Comcast is driving deployment of a new 22mbps and 50mbps services in the speed race with telco rivals such as Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), that require new CPE that’s nowhere to be found, retail-wise, in such DOCSIS 3.0 markets as Greater Boston.
“Yes, CPE is in short supply, but so are subscribers,” claimed Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband and video at Infonetics Research. “There will be very few end-to-end DOCSIS 3.0 customers this year. It’s just too damn expensive right now.”
CPE Options?
Customers who sign up for either of the two new speeds can lease a DOCSIS 3.0 modem from Comcast, which is unsure when the units can be found otherwise.
Comcast did not say when DOCSIS 3.0 modems will become available via other channels.
“That really a question for the retailers,” said a spokesperson for the cableco when asked for a CPE ETA. Pricing for the units was not provided.
Comcast plans two options for equipment installation. The cableco’s staff can install it or customers can use a self-installation kit.
With DOCSIS 3.0 channel bonding technology, Comcast says it’s bonding three channels downstream, but is not yet bonding channels on the return path. The CableLabs Inc. specification allows for a channel(s) to be added if/when needed.
“We haven’t bonded upstream channel yet, but that will be next,” said the Comcast spokesperson, who added that the company has not yet provided a timeline for that undertaking.
The channel bonding approach enables cable companies to make better use of capacity on their shared bandwidth networks by combining connections to form larger ones, in one, or both directions.
Newest, Fastest Speeds
Technology deployment aside, Comcast wasted no time announcing two new higher speed Internet tiers (with pricing) and the free doubling of primarily downstream speeds for current customers. The two new premium speed tiers include:
- Extreme 50, offering up to 50mbps of downstream speed and up to 10mbps of upstream speed at $139.95 per month
- Ultra, offering up to 22mbps of downstream speed and up to 5mbps of upstream speed at $62.95 per month