New or current customers in Atlanta can visit Xfinity.com/gig to learn about the new service and request additional information on the trial as the service becomes more broadly available. If selected for the trial, they will be among the first to experience DOCSIS 3.1 technology and receive up to 1 Gbps Internet speeds over the existing communications lines to their homes. As part of the trial, initial users will also be encouraged to give Comcast feedback about their service, which will be used to help ensure future market rollouts deliver the best possible customer experience.
"Our Atlanta customers will be among the first in the world to enjoy this new Gigabit technology, and we're looking forward to learning more from these early adopters about how they take advantage of these ultra-fast speeds," said Comcast Central Division President Bill Connors. "The capabilities of DOCSIS 3.1 are incredibly exciting, and we are the first to market with a Gigabit offering that runs over our existing cable infrastructure."
Initial customers in Atlanta will have the choice of a promotional contract price of $70 per month for 36 months, or an every day price with no contract at $139.95. Once the advanced consumer trial is complete, Comcast plans to roll out gigabit service out at additional price points in other markets to gauge consumer interest in gigabit speeds.
In February, Comcast announced plans to offer gigabit Internet service using DOCSIS 3.1 in Atlanta and Nashville in early 2016, with Chicago, Detroit and Miami to follow in the second half of the year. In December, Comcast installed its first DOCSIS 3.1 modem in Philadelphia, and one was installed in Atlanta a few days later. In 2015, Comcast launched its residential, fiber-based Gigabit Pro service with symmetrical 2 Gbps speeds. The company says Gigabit Pro is now available to 18 million homes across the country.