MrRant 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq:CMCSA - news), the largest U.S. cable operator, on Monday said it planned to double the downloading capability of its high-speed Internet service by the end of this year to distinguish its product from competitors. "Our job No. 1 is increasing speed -- increasing from 1.5 megabits (per second) downstream to 3 megabits (per second) downstream," said Steve Burke, president of Comcast's cable division, at a Morgan Stanley media conference in Boston. Burke's comments mark the first time the Philadelphia-based company has placed a time frame on the plans. Comcast has been quietly testing such a service in several of its markets, including Pittsburgh, Knoxville, and Atlanta since June. "We're doing that probably for the whole company by later this year," Burke said. The service nearly halves the time it takes to download web pages, video and audio, a Comcast spokeswoman said. But uploading, or the ability to send data, will remain the same at 256 kilobits per second. Indeed Comcast is not the only company that offers higher than average speeds. Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE:CVC - news) users are reporting download speeds of up to 4.3 megabits per second, according to a Broadbandreports.com, which tracks the industry. Comcast users reported speeds of about 1.6 megabits per second. Comcast's anticipated speed bump from 1.5 to 3 megabits will cut the download time for a typical 5 megabyte music file to 17 seconds, from 30 seconds, said Joe Laszlo, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research. Comcast is hoping to lure more new and existing subscribers to its high-speed Internet service by ramping up speeds. As part of the these plans, it is also building a Web site that offers video games, video clips and eventually, the ability to communicate via video with other members. The cable industry is aiming to fend of competitive pressures from telephone companies, which have slashed prices on its high speed products this spring. Burke reaffirmed the company's forecasts of over 5 million cable modem (news - web sites) customers by the end of this year. At the end of the second quarter, Comcast had 4.4 million broadband customers. Comcast shares gained 56 cents to close at $30.59 on Nasdaq. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eclipse 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Wow.......SCHWAOCHZ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Tom 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 And how much is the price going up? Between digital cable and cable internet, Comcast already loves me plenty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 No price increase from what I have seen. It is to draw in more subscribers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 You company whore. And don't say sh*t to me because I PAY YOUR WAGES! Actually, when I moved I got this sweet deal from Comcast -- Digital Cable with HBO and some other crappy pay networks and Cable Internet for three months at a price cheaper than the usual Cable/Internet combo... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Don't make me screw with your connection bitch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Comcast must not really want to expand their subscriber base that much. Ive been trying to get cable from them for 2 years now to no avail, even though theres service up at the end of the road. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Have them do a servicability check. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Don't make me screw with your connection bitch. Well, with the problems I've been having you couldn't do any more damage... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrRant 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 I could... trust me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MarvinisaLunatic 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Have them do a servicability check. They say its too far away and the cost of laying wire for 1 household (everyone else is happy with Directv) isn't justified. They told me if I could talk my neighbors into it they would consider it, but I've had no luck so far, mostly because of NFL Sunday Ticket. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Tom 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 ... mostly because of NFL Sunday Ticket. I hate you. Fucking DirecTV. They reach a whopping 10% of the country, yet they have the monopoly on NFL Sunday Ticket. I guess the NFL isn't interested in making money from at least half the country, all of whom are reachable by digital cable. I'd have it in a second if it were available. ::ponders calling Comcast and complaining to Rant about it anyway:: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steviekick 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2003 Comcast rocks...I've been using them for an ISP and have had no problems with my connection. I can't wait for the faster speed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
