Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has launched the Chicago area trial of gigabit Internet service based on DOCSIS 3.1. The price of the new service with no contract is $139.95 plus taxes and fees. Comcast will test promotional pricing during the trial period, and initial users will be encouraged to provide feedback about the service to Comcast.
In February, Comcast announced plans to offer the service in Atlanta and Nashville in the first half of the year, with Chicago, Detroit and Miami to follow in the second half. The MSO began trials of DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit service in Nashville in June and in Atlanta in March. Last December, Comcast announced it had successfully installed its first D3.1 modem in Philadelphia. The modem also was tested in several Chicago area locations.
Comcast currently offers its fiber-based symmetrical 2 Gbps Gigabit Pro service in the Chicago region, and in July the company announced plans for $100 million worth of network upgrades and expansions in the Chicago area. AT&T (NYSE:T) launched gigabit service in parts of Chicago and surrounding areas last year, and Google Fiber (NASDAQ:GOOG) is considering deploying in Chicago.
In other Comcast news, Comcast Business has been named the WiFi vendor of choice for the 72,000-seat NRG Stadium in Houston, home to the Houston Texans, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Super Bowl LI. A 10 Gbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) line from Comcast Business connects the stadium's existing LAN to the public Internet.