CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) has named the first Denver neighborhoods that will be getting its 1 Gbps fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) service, reports the Denver Business Journal.
The service provider said it is offering the 1 Gbps service in 16 of the city's core neighborhoods and will be connecting more of its customers to the service, including: Baker, Bonnie Brae, Belcaro, Cole, Congress Park, Corey Merrill, Overland, Park Hill, Platt Park, Rosedale, Stapleton, Washington Park East, Washington Park West, University, University Park and Villa Park.
"Our teams are out there working very hard to install it to as many premises as possible," said Penny Larson, CenturyLink's lead executive for Colorado, according to the Denver Business Journal.
Following initial launches in Omaha and Las Vegas, CenturyLink proposed 16 new cities in August, including Denver, for its business and residential fiber 1 Gbps broadband service.
CenturyLink is being tight-lipped about how many customers have purchased the service or how many are eligible to get the service. Other than saying that the 1 Gbps service is being delivered in parts of Stapleton, the service provider told the Denver Business Journal it would not reveal how widespread gigabit speeds are available.
In terms of pricing, CenturyLink's website shows that standalone 1 Gbps service would be $151.95 a month, but requires a two-year contract, or $124 a month if purchased as part of a bundle that includes wireline voice service.
Ultimately, CenturyLink will offer the 1 Gbps service for $89 a month as part of a phone or Prism IPTV bundle. CenturyLink plans to offer its IPTV service in the areas where it provides 1 Gbps service after it finalizes a video franchise agreement with Denver officials.
What makes the Denver market attractive from a buildout cost perspective, particularly in existing or Brownfield areas where it offers traditional DSL service, is that CenturyLink is able to string the fiber cable along its existing aerial telephone pole versus having to dig up streets and run conduit underground. In addition, CenturyLink is equipping a new Greenfield residential development in major cities along Colorado's Front Range with the 1 Gbps service.
CenturyLink's move into Denver comes at a time when there's been a flurry of activity around 1 Gbps FTTP service. Google Fiber announced on Tuesday that it would be bringing its FTTP service to a number of new metro areas, including Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. It is also still considering bringing service to other cities, including Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Phoenix and San Jose.
For more:
- Denver Business Journal has this article
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