Comcast is working on Google Fiber rival that will connect people to the web at more than one Gigabit per second

  • Comcast testing new technology which can support speeds of up to ten Gigabits per second with ideal network configurations and right modem
  • It is hoping to upgrade its entire cable network footprint with the technology in next two to three years
  • Google Fiber currently offers broadband connection speeds starting at one Gigabit per second in nine cities 

By Dailymail.com Reporter

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Comcast is working on a Google Fiber rival as it seeks to provide people with cable internet speeds at more than one Gigabit per second or faster.

The company is testing new technology called DOCSIS 3.1 which can support speeds of up to ten Gigabits per second with ideal network configurations and the right modem.

Comcast is hoping to upgrade its entire cable network footprint with the technology in the next two to three years, FierceCable reported.

Comcast is working to provide people with cable Internet speeds at more than one Gigabit per second or faster as it tests out new technology called DOCSIS 3.1. The technology can support speeds of up to ten Gigabits per second with ideal network configurations and the right modem

Comcast is working to provide people with cable Internet speeds at more than one Gigabit per second or faster as it tests out new technology called DOCSIS 3.1. The technology can support speeds of up to ten Gigabits per second with ideal network configurations and the right modem

'We are currently testing DOCSIS 3.1, a scalable, national, next generation 1 Gbps technology solution,' Marcien Jenckes, executive vice president of consumer services at Comcast Cable, wrote in a company blog post.

'We hope to begin rolling out DOCSIS 3.1 in early 2016, and when fully deployed, it will mean almost every customer in our footprint will be able to receive gigabit speeds over our existing network (a combination of both fiber and coax).'

Comcast also has to deploy DOCSIS 3.1 capable modems into customers' homes in order to provide the one Gigabit per second speeds and higher to customers, which the company unveiled in May.

The DOCSIS 3.1 modem, Gigabit Home Gateway, will be available to customers in early 2016.

'In addition to providing the fastest speeds ever made available to consumers over a hybrid fiber coax network, the Gigabit Home Gateway will also offer features we’ve never before combined in a single device,' Tony Werner, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Comcast, wrote in a company blog post in May.

'The device features a WiFi router capable of delivering gigabit wireless speeds, IP video technology and integrated home automation and security capabilities.'

The technology, which does not require installation of fiber-optic cables in homes, works by allowing for data transfer to be more efficient over existing cable networks, according to CNN Money.

The upgraded network is different from Comcast's existing fiber-optic residential internet service, Gigabit Pro, which offers Internet speeds at two gigabits per second - or twice the speed of what is currently offered by some municipal electric providers and Google.

Pedestrians walk past Google Inc.'s Fiber Space in downtown Austin, Texas, in April. Google Fiber currently offers broadband connection speeds starting at one Gigabit per second in nine cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville and Salt Lake City

Pedestrians walk past Google Inc.'s Fiber Space in downtown Austin, Texas, in April. Google Fiber currently offers broadband connection speeds starting at one Gigabit per second in nine cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville and Salt Lake City

Gigabit Pro is offered in locations such as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and California.

Google Fiber currently offers broadband connection speeds starting at one Gigabit per second in nine cities including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville and Salt Lake City. 

As companies are working to provide faster Internet service, actual speeds can be slower if websites do not increase the speed of the delivery of their data, according to CNN Money.

Comcast, Google and AT&T say that Gigabit speeds are important for offering fast service to several devices connected to the Internet simultaneously - and they are hoping companies like Netflix will increase speeds for customers with faster connections.

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