Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is ramping up its FTTH-based Gigabit Pro 2 Gbps Internet service. The MSO announced deployment plans for the service in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Houston, Utah, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. Utah, Washington, Houston and Colorado are expected to go live this summer, while the Twin Cities and Oregon are expected to go live later this year.
Comcast previously announced Gigabit Pro plans for Atlanta, California, Chattanooga, Chicago, Florida and Nashville, with plans to roll out to more cities throughout the year.
The MSO is also launching Extreme 250, a new 250 Mbps Internet speed tier. It's expected to be available to Twin Cities and Oregon area customers later this year. The 250 Mbps tier is available immediately in Utah, Washington, Colorado and Houston.
In addition, Comcast is currently testing DOCSIS 3.1, with plans to begin launching in early 2016. When fully deployed, it will mean almost every customer in Comcast's national footprint will be able to receive gigabit speeds over the existing HFC network.
In other Comcast news, the MSO has reached a new multi-year, bilateral interconnection agreement with Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT). The deal expands on the agreements already in place between the two companies. Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast and Level 3 will enhance their existing network capacity while extending their mutual interconnection agreements, ensuring that both maintain capacity to exchange Internet traffic between their networks. The agreement covers both companies' existing networks as well as any expansion that may occur during the term of the agreement.
