Not so long ago, Comcast was leaving Detroit. Now, the embattled cable provider has announced a 2 Gbps fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) campaign in Motown. FierceTelecom reports that Comcast will bring its Gigabit Pro service to about 1.5 million homes in Michigan. The service will be offered to residential customers in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, and Lansing. Tim Collins, senior VP of Comcast’s Heartland Region, said in a release that the company’s move into Michigan is designed to address “tech-savvy residents who have a need for even faster speeds.”
Similar to other markets, Detroit customers that live near Comcast’s fiber network will be eligible to get Gigabit Pro service. Comcast technicians will install an optical network terminal and related equipment at the customer’s home for the service. In addition to the metro-Detroit area, Comcast plans to offer the service in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph (as part of the Greater Chicago region).
Options in Detroit
Comcast has not yet disclosed what it will charge Detroiters for the Gigabit Pro offering. The author cites a DSL Reports article where Comcast was planning a $299 per month price tag for the service. That price would make it much more expensive than it competition. Google charge $70 per month for Google Fiber service or AT&T‘s (T) $120 per month charge for its gigabit services. However, it’s unclear if Comcast will adhere to that pricing when it does launch the service.
T
he article says today, Comcast charges $399.95 a month for its 505 Mbps tier. An Ars Technica report said Comcast’s 2 Gbps service will cost less than that. It also said that all 505 Mbps customers will be upgraded to the new Gigabit Pro service. As the MSO tries to work out pricing, it decided to delay the initial May release of the service in Detroit to a new, undetermined date.
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Let’s be honest, the real hero here is Dan Gilbert and his Rocket Fiber project. As has been the case where Google Fiber has gone in, the other players suddenly show an interest in that market. I predict a win for RocketFiber, because Mr. Gilbert’s people understand customer service and Comcast hates its customers.
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.