Comcast is increasing the speeds of some of its Xfinity Internet service tiers – including Blast and Performance Pro – for new and existing customers in the Northeast Division, which includes Delaware and other states in an area extending from Maine to Virginia.
The increases will come at no additional cost.
No extra cost
Speed increases will vary based on a customers’ current speed subscription, but the vast majority will see an increase of 50 Mbps. The changes include:
- Blast tier download speeds increasing from 200 Mbps to 250 Mbps
- Performance Pro tier download speeds increasing from 100 Mbps to 150 Mbps
- Performance tier download speeds increasing from 25 Mbps to 60 Mbps
- Performance Starter tier download speeds increasing from 10 Mbps to 15 Mbps
“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. “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.”
New and existing customers can expect to see enhanced speeds this month. Most customers will automatically be upgraded to the new speeds, and will simply need to restart their modems.
Modem restart required
Comcast will notify customers who may need to upgrade their modems to receive the new speeds. Those who lease modems from Comcast and require an upgrade can do so at no additional charge by requesting a self-install kit or visiting an Xfinity Store or service center. Those owning modems requiring an upgrade can purchase a new one or lease an Xfinity modem, which includes Xfinity xFi.
Comcast has invested billions of dollars in its network, locally and nationally, and delivers in most of the Northeast Division speeds ranging from up to 15 Mbps to up to 2 Gbps for residential customers and up to 10 Gbps for business customers.
Comcast’s 1 Gigabit-per-second speeds uses DOCSIS 3.1 technology to make it possible for Xfinity and Comcast Business internet customers to receive gigabit speeds over the communications lines that most customers already have in place. It is currently available across 80 percent of the division and set to reach almost all areas by the end of the year.
Comcast also introduced the in-home WiFi gateway. In addition, Comcast provides Xfinity Internet customers with complimentary access to more than 18 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots nationwide.
Competition on East Coast
Also available is Internet Essentials. This program provides broadband service for $9.95 a month, digital literacy training and discounted computers for low-income residents of Delaware and other states.
In portions of its service area in Delaware and other Eastern states, Comcast faces competition from Verizon, which operates a FiOS system that uses a fiber-optic system that also comes with high speeds.
After some delays, Verizon moved into Comcast’s key Boston market with FiOS.
Also on tap are high-speed wireless services from Verizon and other wireless companies.
Comcast has forged a relationship with Verizon on mobile device services. At the same time, Verizon plans to roll out and test high-speed wireless broadband systems in a few cities.
Wilmington also has a start-up wireless broadband company, WhyFly.
