Cloud Computing: Comcast boosts Internet speeds

Grazed from SfGate. Author: David Einstein.

After last week’s item about Comcast, I was deluged with responses from readers who, like me, received a letter from the company saying we had to upgrade our cable modems in order to get the most out of our Xfinity Internet service. As I wrote in the column, my old Docsis 2 modem was delivering the Internet at the advertised rate of 25 megabits per second, and when I asked Comcast, I was told I didn’t really have to upgrade to a faster Docsis 3 model.

On Friday, I got a robocall with the same message about the need to upgrade – which I thought was odd until I learned that earlier that day, Comcast had quietly doubled the maximum speed in California for its (and my) Performance Internet plan to 50 Mbps. Knowing that my Docsis 2 modem could only handle speeds up to 38 Mbps, I bought a Docsis 3 model at Target for $70, and now I am getting the faster service…

Ironically, most customers won’t even notice the jump to 50 mbps, because most online activities, including streaming movies, don’t require that kind of speed. However, it should improve Wi-Fi performance in areas of a home away from the router…

Read more from the source @ http://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Comcast-boosts-Internet-speeds-5665897.php