Comcast Business has raised speeds for customers nationwide at no additional cost, reflecting its desire to give business customers its DOCSIS 4.0 capabilities over its HFC network and further challenging traditional telcos’ efforts to win back small and medium-sized business customers.
New and existing Comcast Business customers can take advantage of the following speed plan increases:
· Essential: 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps
· Standard: 100 Mbps to 300 Mbps
· Performance: 250 Mbps to 500 Mbps
· Advanced: 500 Mbps to 800 Mbps
Comcast Business will triple the speeds businesses can get through its Ultimate Speed for Business plan.
Also, Comcast Business announced the roll-out of next-generation multi-gigabit symmetrical business Internet speeds, powered by Full Duplex technology, in select markets.
Focus on the upstream
Upstream speeds have also been increased for the above and Comcast Business’s Gigabit Extra and 2 Gigabit plans.
By leveraging full duplex technology, which utilizes the same network spectrum to dramatically increase upstream speeds without sacrificing downstream speeds, Comcast Business is also introducing a new portfolio of multi-gigabit, symmetrical Internet products for DOCSIS 4.0 customers.
Comcast Business has begun deployment of next-generation symmetrical Internet, powered by Full Duplex technology, to businesses in select areas of Atlanta, GA; Colorado Springs, CO; and Philadelphia, PA, and will continue to launch new markets throughout the country over the next few years.
Battling FWA
As Comcast Business markets the new speeds, it will likely focus on its advantages over its competition—particularly fixed wireless access (FWA), which has found a niche in the SMB space.
Verizon, for one, added 151,000 new business customers to its broadband wireless service during the first quarter.
But the other element is being able to battle traditional telcos in general like AT&T, Lument and Verizon that are trying to win back mid-sized business market share.
During the first quarter, Comcast Business achieved 5% revenue growth, driven by what it said was higher ARPU in small businesses, broader customer growth, and additional solutions for mid-market and enterprise.
The cable MSO can use the new speeds to grow ARPU by pairing them with its mobile and security products.
Comcast Business SecurityEdge helps protect your network's connected devices from malware, phishing scams, ransomware, and botnet attacks.
It offers business continuity platforms, including Connection Pro and WiFi Pro. ConnectionPro, which offers up to 16 hours with powerful 4G LTE backup, could be helpful to a business that’s suffering a power outage. Meanwhile, WiFi Pro can provide business customers with up to four separate networks for connectivity.
Comcast Business could also use the new speed offerings to complement its fiber-based products like Ethernet for larger businesses. A medium or large business could use these higher-speed services in a remote office that may not be able to get a fiber service today.
For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.
