Comcast to increase Internet speed

October 23, 2008

Comcast Corp. said yesterday that it will begin rolling out faster Internet speeds over the next few weeks in selected markets to homes and businesses.

The nation's largest cable operator and residential Internet service provider will offer speeds up to 50 megabits per second, which enables users to download a high-definition movie in 16 minutes and a standard definition movie in 5 minutes. Most Comcast customers will double their speeds for free. The service will be available in parts of New England, including the Boston area and southern New Hampshire, as well as in portions of Philadelphia, New Jersey and the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Over the next few months, Comcast expects to roll it out to over 10 major markets. "This is allowing our customers to enjoy the things they do on the Internet at a much faster speed," Mitch Bowling, Comcast's senior vice president and general manager of online services, said in an interview. Subscribers can now download movies and upload photos quicker, Bowling said.

Subscribers with the fastest service, Extreme 50, will be able to download a high-definition movie in about 16 minutes, compared with 67 minutes using the new standard high-speed connection, Comcast said.