Cox Communications says its gigabit Internet service, G1GABLAST, is now available to 40% of customers in the company footprint. The expansion includes parts of all of the company's major markets nationwide with a plan to reach nearly all customers within the next two years.
Early G1GABLAST deployments were based on fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), specifically RF over glass (RFoG). Cox began deploying DOCSIS 3.1 earlier this year with modems from ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS), enabling the company to roll out gigabit services at a faster pace. The company expects to make gigabit speeds available to 99% of households by the end of 2019. The company first launched residential gigabit Internet in 2014 and expanded to all of its major markets by 2016.
Cox President Pat Esser made the announcement at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. "As one of the first providers of gigabit Internet speeds, we are excited to rapidly expand that choice to more of our customers nationwide. The innovative technology and devices displayed at CES are all powered by broadband, and our latest investments help bring these connected applications to the businesses and residents of the communities we serve."
Cox powers all the wired and wireless infrastructure on the Las Vegas Convention Center show floor at CES via its Cox Business/Hospitality Network division.
The Cox network at CES includes 2,100 WiFi access points, redundant 10 Gbps backbone Internet connections and a distributed antenna system (DAS) equivalent to 14 cell towers inside the convention center. At CES 2017, more than 6.4 terabytes of data crossed the Las Vegas Convention Center WiFi network via 200,000 connected devices. Cox also supports the 15-screen digital signage network within the Convention Center facility, including two new 40-foot LED screens in the concourse, and creates and manages the displayed content.