RCN Boosts Cable Internet Speeds
Cable provider RCN said Friday that it would begin offering ultra-high speed cable Internet access in two of the markets it serves. Called MegaModem Mach 20, the service would provide up to 20Mbps downstream and up to 2Mbps upstream. The move is a bid to stay competitive in light of new offerings from competitors like Verizon.
The first markets to be eligible for the new service will be Falls Church, Va., and Woburn, Mass. The service is twice as fast as cable Internet access from Comcast or Time Warner, and faster than DSL services in the same market.
At these speeds, RCN says, a two-hour movie can be downloaded in under nine minutes, an entire music CD in less than thirty seconds, and a photo album in less than five seconds.
The company said it plans to roll out the higher speeds to the rest of the DC metropolitan area on April 1, and expand the service to Natick and West Roxbury, Mass. The rest of the RCN footprint would receive the speed boost on a staggered basis.
RCN executive vice president and CTO Tim Dunne admitted that Verizon's new FiOS offering is faster, however he argued that you pay more to get less.
"The differentiator is that MegaModem Mach 20 comes bundled with our outstanding Cable TV programming and high-quality telephone service and is priced below what Verizon charges only for its high-speed data service," he said in a statement.
A bundle which combines unlimited local phone calling, full basic cable and the 20 Mbps download speed will be available for $129.99 USD. A premium bundle that includes unlimited local and long distance calling, digital cable with five premium channels, and 20 Mbps Internet will cost $174.99 USD.