Comcast Boosts Broadband Speeds in the Northeast

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(Image credit: Pixabay)

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Comcast has announced that it has increased speeds in its Northeast Division for its most popular Xfinity Internet tiers, providing an extra boost for millions of residential customers across 14 northeastern states from Maine through Virginia and the District of Columbia.

“Faster speeds will give Xfinity customers added capacity to power all their WiFi-connected devices in the home,” said Kevin Casey, Comcast Northeast Division president. “Through our smart, fast and reliable fiber-dense network, continued innovation and our people, we bring our customers unbeatable Internet with the best connection, advanced cybersecurity, faster speeds and the best tech available.”

The upgrades to its broadband tiers being offered to customers at no additional cost include: 

  • Extreme Pro will increase download speeds by more than 12 percent and upload speeds by 33 percent, from 800/15 Mbps to 900/20 Mbps.
  • Blast! will increase download speeds by 50 percent and double upload speeds, from 400/10 Mbps to 600/20 Mbps.
  • Performance Pro will increase download speeds by 50 percent and double upload speeds, from 200/5 Mbps to 300/10 Mbps.
  • Performance upload speeds will double from 100/5 Mbps to 100/10 Mbps.
  • Performance Starter upload speeds will double from 50/5 Mbps to 50/10 Mbps.
  • In October 2021, Xfinity, the country’s largest gigabit network offering the fastest Internet speeds over WiFi, increased Gigabit Pro speeds from 2/2 Gbps to 3/3 Gbps symmetrical nationwide. Gigabit Pro uses enterprise-grade, fiber-based ethernet technology to make it possible for Xfinity Internet customers to receive symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds so they can stream or game in 4K in multiple rooms of the home.

In announcing the upgrades, Comcast noted that in the past five years (2017-2021), the operator has invested nearly $20 billion to evolve and grow its network. From 2017 to 2021, Comcast also built 50,000 new route miles of fiber into its network and doubled network capacity every 2.5 years to stay well ahead of demand.

The faster speeds will roll out over the coming weeks. Once available, customers may need to “power cycle” their devices to receive the speeds. Some may need to upgrade their equipment to receive the increased speeds, and those with devices that are not compatible will be contacted with opportunities to update their equipment. Customers who lease an Xfinity gateway and require new equipment will be upgraded at no additional cost. 

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.