Comcast has started to slowly roll out its gigabit-speed Internet service in the United States, with the first connection live in Philadelphia last week. The connection, which is believed to be the first in the world using a DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer-facing network, brings Comcast in line with other similar high-speed services such as the already-live Google Fiber and AT&T’s GigaPower connections.
While AT&T and Google are using fiber-to-the-premises connections, The Verge reports Comcast is using a different technique. By using a modem compatible with the new standard, a software update was performed on the neighborhood’s network infrastructure to enable the service. Since this uses the existing cable connection already servicing the property, this eliminates the potentially costly excavation and installation work required to replace or introduce new cable hardware to an area.
It is claimed Comcast has already made a number of upgrades to its wider Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial network to accommodate the technology as it rolls out, potentially allowing it to make the service live in many locations in a short space of time. Comcast is also said to be expanding its trials in Pennsylvania, Northern California, and Atlanta, Georgia to make sure the service is robust enough for consumer use in the future.
