Comcast may already offer a 3 Gbps service to Xfinity fiber customers, but it seems the operator is preparing to step up its multi-gig game with a rollout of faster speeds across its HFC network as well.
Speaking during an investor conference, Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson noted it already offers 1.2 Gbps to customers across its entire network thanks to DOCSIS 3.1 technology. He added the operator’s chosen path of rolling out mid-split upgrades on the way to DOCSIS 4.0 will allow it to take speeds to the next level.
“We have a very fast, very efficient path to multi-gig symmetrical at scale that we can do” with mid-splits, he explained. “With the improvements that we have, we’re going to in the next several months be rolling out multi-gig.” Watson also pointed to the speeds it achieved during recent lab tests of DOCSIS 4.0 as evidence that it has plenty of runway left to boost speeds further. Most recently Comcast showcased speeds of 8.5 Gbps downstream and 5 Gbps upstream in a demonstration at a CableLabs event.
While Comcast may deploy fiber in select locations, for instance to reach apartments or new build communities, Watson said it feels comfortable that its sprawling HFC network will remain competitive.
“You look at the end game and that’s 4.0. we’ve tested multi gig symmetrical in the lab and it works great,” he said. “There’s not an application that we can see that we’re not ahead of and be not only competitive and leading.”
FWA
Watson reiterated previous assertions from Comcast CEO Brian Roberts that fixed wireless access service isn’t a threat and that it isn’t seeing any material impact on churn from fixed wireless competitors.
He added the segments that FWA providers compete in vary. For instance, he noted about half of Verizon’s customers are business customers, while T-Mobile appears to be focused more on ramping its fixed wireless business in more rural areas with less network congestion.
“Doesn’t mean that it’s not competitive, doesn’t mean that we’re going to take it lightly. We’re not,” he said. “[But] they got a lot of trade-offs they’re going to have to sort through. Doesn’t mean they’re not going to serve some segments and improve rural, but we’ll have to see over the long run. But I like our position. We’re going to compete aggressively for every segment.”