Comcast Offers 50 Mbps High-Speed Internet Service

In a press release issued yesterday Comcast announced it is making the leap from broadband to wideband with the launch of the next-generation DOCSIS 3.0.

With wideband, Comcast boast that it will offer among the fastest speeds available today, including the Extreme 50 tier at up to 50 Mbps. It will also enable Comcast to double speeds for the majority of existing high-speed Internet customers at no additional cost.

As part of the wideband deployment, Comcast will launch two new premium speed tiers to its residential and business class customers. Both services are ideal for households or businesses simultaneously using several computers or Internet-connected devices. They also will appeal to those who simply want some of the fastest speeds available in the U.S. today:

New Residential Tiers:

• Extreme 50, offering up to 50 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 10 Mbps of upstream speed at $139.95/month.
• Ultra, offering up to 22 Mbps of downstream speed and up to 5 Mbps of upstream speed at $62.95/month.

In addition to the new high speed offerings Comcast will be increasing speeds for most of its existing customers at no additional charge. The new speeds will be as follows"

• Performance tier customers will benefit from doubled downstream and upstream speeds, offering up to 12 Mbps and 2 Mbps, respectively.
• Performance Plus customers will be upgraded to Comcast’s Blast! tier, which will double their download speeds to up to 16 Mbps and provide up to 2 Mbps of upload speed.

Initial Comcast’s new services will only be available in the eastern U.S.. According to Comcast they'll be starting with millions of residential homes and businesses in parts of New England, including the Boston Metropolitan region and Southern New Hampshire, as well as areas of Philadelphia and New Jersey. Comcast plans to continue to roll out wideband across its footprint and expects to reach more than 10 major markets and pass nearly 10 million homes and businesses in the next several months.

Personally I don't need a speed increase, my current Comcast speeds suit me just fine. So Comcast instead of rolling out over priced high speed tiers why not cut prices? Or heck instead of doubling my speeds for free why not give me the option of a lower monthly payment and remain at the same speeds?