DSLReports started digging around various Comcast sites, searching for clues to the price of Comcast's new Gigabit Pro service. On Monday, it reported its find: websites revealing that Comcast would charge $300 per month. Unfortunately, when DSLReports asked Comcast for comment, the sites vanished and haven't reappeared since.
"Last night a web page was put up in error," a Comcast spokesman said in an email. "We do not have an official price for Gigabit Pro to announce at this time. Pricing decisions, including introductory and promotional rates, are still being evaluated. When we have official information to announce, we'll let you know."
Why this matters: Comcast takes a lot of heat for its practices, such as its network of routers that double as public hotspots, and its legacy of poor customer service. But $300 per month for Internet access doesn't sound that bad. A family probably wouldn't buy this service. But unless Comcast is doing something underhanded at the router level to block multiple users from using it--and remember, the new service requires professional installation--it seems like it'd be a great deal for a crowd of young techies bunking together in a San Francisco work/play living space, for example.
A high-speed future
Comcast announced its 2-gigabit plans last month for the Bay Area, after previously stating it would launch the service in Atlanta. The upgrades will also be made in several different metro areas across California. Comcast recently announced plans to roll out Gigabit Pro to 2.4 million more customers in the Chicago and northern Indiana regions, plus another 500,000 customers in Nashville, Tenn.
The 2-gigabit tier is symmetrical, meaning that you'll be able to download and upload data at 2-gigabit speeds. Note that 2-gigabit broadband is relatively slow in Comcast's grand scheme: Two years ago, the company showed off speeds faster than 3 gigabits, albeit at a cable industry show. Last week, Comcast showed off its DOCSIS 3.1 modem, which will go live in early 2016, and recently announced a 4K set-top box as well.
Comcast is clearly gearing up for the next wave of broadband, driven by always-on, always-connected, high-definition services. But if you want the very best--and this has never changed--it's going to cost you.