RCN has announced the immediate availability of DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit Internet speeds to residents in all of its Chicagoland service areas, including Chicago, Skokie and Lincolnwood. Pricing starts at $69.99/month for 12 months and requires no contracts. The company first announced its DOCSIS 3.1 plans for Chicago on Oct. 1, and launched a similar 1 Gbps service in New York City last week.
"The future of Internet speed has arrived with 1 Gigabit. The need for speed is real and only getting stronger with multiple devices, over-the-top (OTT) video content, smart homes and more," said Tom McKay, senior vice president and general manager of RCN Chicago. "RCN has always been on the forefront of innovation, and we will continue to integrate the newest technologies to improve our offerings and services. RCN 1 Gig customers will notice a big difference in the way they access the Internet and share bandwidth in the home."
DOCSIS 3.1 deployments have begun ramping up lately, with more and more operators going live with the technology, which uses existing hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) plant rather than costly fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) rebuilds. Cable operators that have deployed DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit services to date include Atlantic Broadband, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), RCN and WOW!. Deployments are expected to accelerate next year; Comcast in particular has announced plans to deploy in Utah, Oregon, Washington, and parts of California in early 2017.