Comcast confirms 305 Mbps Internet tier, doubles other tier speeds for free

Comcast announced its plans to offer a new, ultra high-speed broadband Internet tier today, confirming rumors first reported last week.

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The new tier will be called Xfinity Platinum Internet and will offer download speeds of up to 305 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 65 Mbps. It’ll be available throughout markets in its Northeast division, the company said in a statement. Subscribers of this Internet package will also get free 24-hour tech support, with a “Dedicated Personal Communications Consultant.” So basically, if you freak out at the thought of not having a high-speed Internet connection for longer than five minutes when at home, this plan might be for you.

The company hasn’t yet put a monthly price on the Xfinity Platinum deal, nor has it set a firm date on when the service will become available. I’d assume the price will be competitive with Verizon’s FiOS Quantum service, which offers speeds of 300 Mbps downstream/ 65 Mbps upstream for $205 a month.

In addition to the new tier, Comcast has decided to double the Internet speed for subscribers of its Xfinity Blast (from 25Mbps to 50Mbps) and  Xfinity Extreme (from 50Mbps to 105Mbps) Internet tiers at no additional charge. The company notes that this is the seventh time it has increased the overall speed of its Internet Packages for free in the last decade, which is certainly more than most ISPs can claim. (That said, I’m sure the average customer’s monthly bill was much lower a decade ago.)

The new upgrades will be available in 10 markets, including Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Richmond, and New Jersey.

Photo via cmorran123/Flickr