In the latest of a rising tide of DOCSIS 3.1 deployments, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is making a big push with the technology in several markets. The MSO is launching gigabit Internet service based on DOCSIS 3.1 throughout Colorado, its Oregon/SW Washington region, and the company's suburban Kansas City, MO, and Olathe, KS, service areas.
The everyday price for the 1 Gbps service is $159.95 without a contract. A $109.99 per month promotional price is being tested in a few markets in Colorado and Oregon/SW Washington, as is a $70 per month promotion with a one-year service agreement in the Kansas City area. Google Fiber (NASDAQ:GOOG) currently offers gigabit FTTH service in Kansas City for $70 a month. Additional prices and promotions may be tested in the future.
New and current customers can visit https://www.xfinity.com/gig to learn about the service and request additional information. The link also includes an availability map and rollout plans. Equipment-wise, customers who take the service will only need to install a new DOCSIS 3.1 compatible modem.
"We want to ensure residents throughout Colorado have the ability to connect with each other and their communities and share information and entertainment in the most convenient way possible," said Rich Jennings, senior vice president of Comcast's Mountain West Region. "Our 1 Gig service will provide the fastest speed to the most homes - over existing wiring that most people already have in their homes."
Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland said: "We've worked hard to make certain our residents have access to the most advanced technology, and I'm excited that Comcast is now offering 1 Gigabit Internet to all homes in the city of Olathe. By making these ultra-fast speeds available across their entire service area, Comcast is helping the Kansas City region keep its reputation as one of the nation's most technologically advanced metropolitan areas."
Since its initial field trials in Philadelphia and Atlanta at the end of 2015, Comcast has deployed DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit Internet service in several markets, including Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami and several others. Next steps include plans to deploy the service in a number of locations primarily along the eastern seaboard, and eventually across the company's entire footprint.
DOCSIS 3.1 state of play
DOCSIS 3.1 deployments have accelerated this year after a relatively slow start in 2016. Besides Comcast, other North American cable operators offering the service include Midco, WOW!, Mediacom, MaxxSouth, Grande, Rogers, RCN, Packerland Broadband, Atlantic Broadband and Videotron. Internationally, Stofa in Denmark recently tapped ARRIS and Teleste for a full network upgrade to support DOCSIS 3.1 and remote PHY.
Interestingly, most of the deployments so far have been by smaller tier 2 and 3 operators. Among the four biggest U.S. MSOs - Comcast, Charter, Cox and Altice USA - only Comcast has deployed DOCSIS 3.1 on a large scale. Altice, which has numerous gigabit deployments based on DOCSIS 3.0 in its Suddenlink markets, has said it plans to skip DOCSIS 3.1 and go straight to fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). Charter still seems to have its hands full with integrating its Time Warner Cable and Bright House acquisitions and has indicated no immediate plans to do anything with DOCSIS 3.1. Cox has said it wants to deploy DOCSIS 3.1, but hasn't announced any deployments; the company's current G1GABLAST gigabit service is based on RFoG.
DOCSIS 3.1 modem availability remains a bit of a deployment bottleneck, with some operators saying that demand is still outstripping supply. Midco is currently using DOCSIS 3.1 modems from ARRIS and Hitron, and plans to add other vendors' modems as they become available. Similarly, Mediacom is using Technicolor modems and is basing further deployment plans on modem availability. Comcast hasn't said whose modems it's using.
