Comcast will begin boosting its internet speeds to most of its Chattanooga customers next week.
The cable TV giant said Wednesday more than 80 percent of its Southern customers are getting faster internet service as part of the company's ongoing programs to speed web connections and offer better broadband coverage. By mid December, Comcast expects to complete increases in internet speeds from 75 Mbps to 100 Mbps for Blast! customers, from 25 Mbps to 60 Mbps for Performance customers and from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps for Performance Starter customers.
"Our goal is to keep pushing the envelope for our customers to deliver more value and provide a great online experience — whether that's by boosting speeds, building out our Wi-Fi and fiber networks, or introducing bold innovations like xFi and Xfinity Gigabit," said Doug Guthrie, a regional senior vice president for Comcast.
In the past 16 years, Comcast has increased its internet speeds 17 times.
In Chattanooga — the self-described "Gig City" — Comcast has been under even more competitive pressure to boost its internet speeds to keep pace with EPB, the municipal utility that pioneered the first gigabyte-per-second, citywide internet service in 2010 through EPB's fiber-to-home connections. EPB has since boosted its citywide internet speed up to 10 gigs, although only a few homes use the maximum internet speed connections.
In its service territory, EPB has signed up more than 90,000 fiber optic users of either internet, television or telephone services and surpassed Comcast as the biggest telecom provider in the immediate Chattanooga area served by EPB.
But Comcast still has more overall customers across its broader service territory in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia.
Chattanooga was one of the first in the nation to get Comcast's D 3.1 service, which is capable of gig speed connections to homes and businesses that connect to such service.
"Whether it's streaming, gaming, shopping or surfing the web, customers need an internet provider that can deliver the fastest, most reliable service, particularly as more devices and smart appliances are coming into the home," Comcast spokeswoman Sara Jo Walker said. "Since 2015, we've led the industry in rolling out both 2 gigabit and 1 gigabit home internet speeds. We're determined to keep our customers ahead of the curve."
Walker said most Comcast Xfinity internet customers can also enjoy complimentary access to more than 18 million Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots — the largest Wi-Fi network in the country.