Alaskan cable operator GCI has begun offering its 1 Gbps service, 1 GIG red to consumers and businesses in Anchorage with plans to scale it to other parts of its territory by the end of the year and into 2016.
Unlike Google Fiber (NASDAQ: GOOG) and AT&T (NYSE: T) in the lower 48, GCI said that what makes its 1 Gbps rollout different is that it doesn't just deliver top speeds to selected neighborhoods, but rather across its entire cable service footprint in Anchorage.
In tandem with launching the 1 Gbps service in Anchorage, GCI is upgrading all of its other markets -- including the Mat-Su, Juneau, Fairbanks, Kenai/Soldotna, Sitka and Ketchikan -- to speeds up to 500 Mbps from the current red speeds of up to 250 Mbps.
While Anchorage is GCI's initial target for the 1 Gbps service, GCI said that it plans to bring 1 GIG red to more Alaska communities next year.
In order to get the 1 Gbps or 500 Mbps speeds, eligible subscribers will have to obtain a new cable modem that GCI will supply for free.
For more:
- see the release
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