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Comcast recently announced it’s entry into the fiber optic internet service market with Comcast 2Gbps. Google has long dominated the gigabit fibre optic market with it’s 1Gbps Google Fiber service, but there are only three cities that have the service: Austin, Provo, Utah, and in select areas of Kansas City, Missouri. Google plans to expand service to Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh-Duram and Salt Lake City, but the time frame for the expansion is unknown.

Comcast is going to first implement it’s 2Gbps service in Atlanta, with service commencing in May, 2015. Further expansion of the 2Gbps service will reach nearly 18 million US homes by the end of 2015. It expects to be able to connect to every customer in their existing footprint by mid 2016.

Comcast is upping the ante against Google Fiber by offering 2Gbps, double the speed of Google Fiber’s 1Gbps service. Not only will the service be twice as fast as the current fastest speed on the market, it will symmetrical. This means Comcast will offer a download speed maximum of 2Gbps and offer an upload speed maximum of 2Gbps. Google Fiber claims it offers symmetrical 1Gbps download and 1Gbps upload, but internet speed tests have shown that Google Fiber averages 29.4 Mbps, which is a incredible 0.0039% of the claimed 1Gbps upload. (Source: http://testmy.net/hoststats/google_fiber)

To support the symmetrical 2Gbps service, Comcast is installing commercial grade gateways in homes. And, of course, this comes at a cost. Google Fiber is $70 per month, but Comcast has not yet released it’s price for the service. What is known is that Comcast will be charging less than $399.00 per month, which is the current price for it’s existing 505Mbps Gigabit Pro service. In addition, Comcast will offer a service at a symmetrical 1Gbps speed, which should come in at a reasonable monthly price and might be attractive to most consumers. It is expected that Comcast will include the hardware necessary for the 1 and 2Gbps service in the monthly fee.

To read Comcast’s press release for 2Gbps, click here:

http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-begins-rollout-of-residential-2-gig-service-in-atlanta-metro-area