Comcast line workers have been working on lines in backyards during the midnight hours in Arlington Heights neighborhoods. Neighbors around town have seen crews with flashlights in their backyards for the past several weeks. Is this a sign of major upgrades to service? Yes, it is.
A Comcast representative confirms that Comcast’s 6.0/8.0 speed plans will be upgraded and that customers will see a jump in price from 6 to 12 and 8 to 16 for the respective plans.
This speed test shows a significant increase in upload speed, compared to previous tests. Download speed has not changed, but is expected to be doubled when the upgrade process is complete.
Comcast, the largest cable operator and residential Internet service provider in the United States is poised to offer speeds up to 50 megabits per second in 10 major markets, which will enable users to download a high-definition movie in 16 minutes and a standard definition movie in 5 minutes. First market availability is in parts of New England, including the Boston area and southern New Hampshire, portions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Comcast’s new ‘Extreme 50’ tier for residential users, including up to 10 Mbps upstream service, will cost $139.95 a month. For businesses, it will cost $189.95 monthly, including extra features and support.
The ‘Ultra’ plan for individuals will offer speeds up to 22 Mbps for downloading and up to 5 upstream for $62.95 a month. The business “premium” tier will offer the same speeds for $99.95 a month.
The new Internet plans are only available packaged with Comcast’s cable TV service.