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Cablevision To Offer 101 Mbps Down, No Caps

Posted by kdawson on from the like-a-drug dept.

nandemoari alerts us to news over at DSLReports that Cablevision will be offering subscribers 101-Mbps download service, a new US record. That's fast enough to download an HD movie in less than 10 minutes. The package, known as "Ultra," will launch on May 11 and will cost $99.95 a month. Upload speed is 15 Mbps and there are no monthly limits. Cablevision is also doubling the speed of its Wi-Fi service, which is available free to subscribers using hotspots across the Northeast. "...the company will be launching a new 'Ultra' tier on May 11. The new tier features speeds of 101Mbps downstream and 15Mbps upstream for $99.95 a month. That's an unprecedented amount of speed at an unprecedented price, suggesting that Cablevision just took the gloves off in their fight against Verizon FiOS. ... Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella confirmed for me that the $99.95 price is unbundled, and the new tier does not come with any kind of a usage cap or overage fees."

8 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. Starting to pack my things... by nschubach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now I need to find a town with Cablevision service to move to...

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    Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    1. Re:Starting to pack my things... by Hadlock · · Score: 5, Informative

      I had my card in hand, looking for the local number to switch here in Dallas, but the story doesn't point out that they're only located in the Tri-State (NJ-NY-CT) area. Bummer. Cablevision, do you hear me?

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      moox. for a new generation.
    2. Re:Starting to pack my things... by bee-17 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Before you do, ask how much bandwidth Cablevision provisions to serve each neighborhood. A 100 Mbps last-mile connection isn't worth didly-squat if the CMTS head-end only has a 155 Mbps uplink. Even a gig uplink is only enough for about 80 customers, given typical 8:1 oversubscription. Many ISP's don't mind 100:1 oversubscription or worse!

    3. Re:Starting to pack my things... by QuantumRiff · · Score: 5, Funny

      I was going to moderate your post, but realized there is no '-1 Smug Bastard' rating...

      Isn't it time slashdot gave us a few more choices to moderate with? I'm nominating that one...

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    4. Re:Starting to pack my things... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have had 100Mbps for years now... That single megabit won't make any difference.

      Nigel: Well, it's one faster, innit? It's not 100. You see, most blokes, you know, will be downloading at 100. You're on 100 here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on 100 on your laptop. Where can you go from there? Where?

      Marty: I don't know.

      Nigel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?

      Marty: Put it up to 101.

      Nigel: 101. Exactly. One faster.

      Marty: Why don't you just make 100 faster and make 100 be the top number and make that a little faster?

      Nigel: These go to 101.

  2. DOCSIS 3.0 by TehCable · · Score: 5, Informative

    Don't get ready to move across the country for this service just yet. This is just the beginning. DOCSIS 3.0 is the new standard that supports bonding together traditional cable modem channels to support these kinds of speeds, and the equipment that supports it is currently in late development stages and is being tested by all of the major cable operators. You are going to see a lot more announcements like this one over the next few years, possibly in your area.

    1. Re:DOCSIS 3.0 by sarahbau · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not likely. In areas where there is no competition for broadband (like RTP for example), the cable companies have no incentive to increase bandwidth, and have shown over the last 10+ years that they will keep bandwidth at a minimum. Time Warner is really the only option here in Raleigh, NC. There are a few pockets that can get DSL, but there is no FTTH. The fastest DSL here, if you can get it, is 6Mbps, so Time Warner offers 7Mbps down/384 up for $50 a month. I don't see that increasing until there's some competition. Time Warner is currently trying to push a bill through in NC that makes it so cities can't even provide their own broadband to compete with them.

  3. 100 bucks!?!?!? by maillemaker · · Score: 5, Funny

    A hundred bucks a month for internet service is insane. For that kind of money a customer service rep should come over every other week and give me a blow job.

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