Comcast plans for nationwide 1-gigabit cable service by 2018

From PC World: Comcast plans to begin 1-gigabit service rollouts later this year, with an eye toward pushing the service nationwide in two to three years, according to a report.

The key is the deployment of DOCSIS 3.1, a cable-modem standard that Comcast will begin trialing during the fourth quarter of this year, according to a report by FierceCable. While the DOCSIS 3.1 standard establishes a minimum speed of 1 gbps down, eventually the standard should be able to support speeds of 10 gbps downstream or more.

Comcast will also begin supplying its first DOCSIS 3.1 modems next year, the company said. The DOCSIS 3.1 spec itself was ratified in 2013. Additional features include Active Queue Management, a sort of quality-of-service protocol that CableLabs, the spec’s author, promises will minimize delays inside the home and help out with tasks such as online gaming.

DOCSIS 3.1 represents the cutting edge in cable modem technology. That's saying something, as the pace of cable modem speeds constantly increases, and cable and chip makers refine their technology. What we all want to know, however, is what price Comcast will charge for the technology—and what the other price tiers will be as well.

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