Vyve Broadband is the latest operator to serve up multi-gig connectivity, as it just released a 2-gig service tier to new and existing residential customers in Ottawa, Kansas.
This marks the first time Vyve is offering multi-gig broadband to residential subscribers, who previously could only purchase speeds of up to 1-gig. Vyve’s commercial customers, on the other hand, already have access to symmetrical 10-gig fiber.
Ottawa residents can now sign up for the 2-gig tier, and Vyve said it will “gradually implement” the service in select areas across its 16-state footprint.
According to the operator’s website, the 2-gig plan costs around $100 per month, $40 higher than the 1-gig tier. The 2-gig tier has an upload cap of up to 105 Mbps, and customers don’t need to pay a separate fee for equipment.
“In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, reliable and ultra-fast internet connectivity is more important than ever. This is just the start,” stated Vyve President and COO Andy Parrott. “We will stay on top of customers' needs and lead the way in internet speeds and offerings.”
Vyve’s network is a hybrid of fiber and coax, and it’s also built XGS-PON fiber in “nearly 30 communities” over the past couple of years, Parrott told Fierce in July.
As it builds out its network, Vyve is honing in on rural and bedroom communities. The company this summer scooped up Oklahoma-based Community Cable & Broadband, a provider that serves areas adjacent to Vyve’s footprint.
“We’ve been in the rural broadband space longer than most and driving to give rural communities gigabit access,” Parrott said at the time.
Other multi-gig moves
A slew of multi-gig internet packages have cropped up in the wireline market. Altice USA, Google Fiber, TDS Telecom and Windstream’s Kinetic are among the operators that have launched plans with up to 8-gig speeds (Google Fiber actually has a 20-gig product in the works).
Notably, Comcast just announced that starting next week, it will offer multi-gig cable internet to consumers in Colorado Springs – making it the first cable operator to begin DOCSIS 4.0 deployments.