Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN) plans to begin offering parts of its customer base in November faster broadband speeds via a mix of VDSL2 and ADSL2+ with bonding technologies.
Set to be delivered across 87 of its telephone exchanges, a post in Broadband Reports said that customers who reside in those markets will have a choice of three new speed tiers: a 12/2 Mbps package; 24/2 Mbps package; and a 24/4 Mbps package enabled either via VDSL2 with bonding and Fiber to the Premises (FTTP).
While these speeds still pale in comparison to what a cable operator can deliver over its DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0-enabled HFC lines, these new speeds are much faster than the typical 3-6 Mbps speeds that Windstream has been able to deliver to the majority of its customer base.
A number of users in various regions the telco serves have said in the Windstream forum that they have experienced heavy congestion on their DSL lines.
Windstream said that users will know if they are eligible for the new speeds if they receive a flier in the mail.
"The majority of the areas where we are launching the residential service have been testing/offering Bonded and VDSL service to business customers already," the ILEC said. "As far as areas currently affected by latency issues, those areas are already in the process of upgrading to Ethernet-based equipment."
In a previous interview with FierceTelecom, Jeff Gardner, CEO of Windstream, said that it has introduced VDSL2-capable services in select areas, but emphasized that most users are typically using 4 Mbps.
"We're deploying VDSL2 in our markets and it's allowed us to offer 20 Mbps and above," Gardner said. "In our biggest markets we can get 12 Mbps to nearly half of our customers. You have to keep in mind that most people on average are only buying 4 Mbps so we have a lot of headroom if our customers want a Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) or a different video experience."
For more:
- Broadband DSL Reports has this article
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