Comcast’s 10G network will be available to 10M homes and businesses soon

Comcast said that its Xfinity 10G network upgrade will be available to 10 million homes and businesses by the end of February.

For applications like gaming, virtual reality, and videoconferencing where lower latency is increasingly important, later this year Comcast will also unveil new low latency features that will enable an even better experience than they have today.

The aim is to ultimately deliver 10 gigabits per second internet service for both downloading and uploading data. This is the kind of tech we’ll need to help the metaverse live up to its promise.

The nation’s largest and fastest multi-gig internet deployment is rolling out, the company said. These locations now have the foundational network enhancements in place to begin deploying DOCSIS 4.0, setting the stage for the introduction of new symmetrical multi-gigabit Internet options before the end of 2023 that can be delivered across existing networks with less cost.

To date, and ahead of schedule, more than 40 markets across Comcast service areas have implemented network improvements including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and others.

The full deployment of these technical capabilities will reach more than 50 million homes and businesses by 2025. In addition to fast speeds, DOCSIS 4.0 technologies will deliver even greater reliability and capacity to power multiple data-intensive applications.

“Streaming live sports, 4K gaming, hybrid work, and virtual reality have gone mainstream in just a few years, and gig speeds, capacity, reliability, and low latency are key factors making our connectivity experience superior to the competition,” said Dave Watson, CEO of Comcast Cable, in a statement. “Our definition of reliability has to shift from merely being always-on, to powering multiple data-intensive applications across dozens of devices, and the investments we are making in our network are creating immediate benefits for our customers.”

Wi-Fi boost guarantee and storm-ready Wi-Fi

The company also unveiled plans to roll out new Wi-Fi features in the coming months that build upon its service reliability with a guarantee offer that increases support for in-home Wi-Fi, and a new device with cellular and battery backup to help keep customers connected even when the power goes out.

Recently, Comcast accelerated the transformation of its network to a virtualized, cloud-based architecture that is fully prepared for the emergence of more robust 10G technologies and DOCSIS 4.0. This network architecture enables Comcast to deliver symmetrical, multi-gigabit speeds to both residential and business customers, which technically limited fixed wireless providers are unable to deliver.

Comcast’s ongoing network evolution also furthers its commitment to provide a cleaner, greener Internet by doubling network energy efficiency by 2030. The company estimated this will avoid the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power a half a million homes for a year.

Comcast has said 10G technology will revolutionize the availability of ultra-fast speeds by delivering multigigabit symmetrical services over the connections already installed in hundreds of millions of homes worldwide, without digging up yards or installing new connections.