Comcast Ups Speed For Internet Cable Access

Comcast has announced plans to up the speed of its residential cable Internet service to as high as 6Mbps upstream. By the end of the first quarter of 2005, Comcast's current 3Mbps downstream / 256kbps upstream tier will be upgraded to 4Mbps / 384kbps, and its 4Mbps downstream / 384kbps upstream tier will jump to 6Mbps / 768kbps.

The speed increases will be automatic. Customers will not have to download any special files or upgrade their connections. The speed upgrades will be performed on a market-by-market basis, and are targeted to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2005.

"Today, we're preparing our customers for the next generation of Comcast High-Speed Internet by upgrading our speed tiers for all of our customers at no additional charge," said Greg Butz, senior vice president, marketing & business development for Comcast Online. "This mirrors our successful 2004 strategy, which enabled us to set an industry record for customer growth as we began to showcase why 'it's not just speed but what you can do with it.'"