Spectrum moving quickly toward gigabit Internet speeds

Rotterdam

Charter Communications is quickly ushering in gigabit internet speeds in New York state faster than expected.

Some old Time Warner Cable customers, however, may be struck at slower speeds.

After acquiring Time Warner Cable in 2016, Charter, which operates under the Spectrum brand, has started offering 1 gigabit internet service in the New York City and lower Hudson Valley area and is looking to offer the same in upstate communities as early as this year.

Gigabit internet speeds have previously only been available to government entities and businesses in the Capital Region and only did Verizon start offering the service to its limited number of local FiOS customers.

Charter's plan would open up gigabit internet plans to the masses locally.

But don't expect it to happen overnight. In the Capital Region, getting 1 gig internet service will depend on when the transition to all digital channels can be completed.

Plus, many customers are still in their old Time Warner Cable internet plans that have lower speeds.

"We're currently in the process of upgrading the Capital Region to all-digital, which is an important first step to enabling faster speeds, including gigabit connections for residential customers," Andrew Russell, a Charter spokesman said. "We intend to launch gigabit connections in additional markets in 2018 but haven't announced any plans yet."

It is unclear how much Spectrum's 1 gigabit speed Internet would cost in the Capital Region, although in places like Austin, Texas it has reportedly been offered around $100 a month as a standalone service. FiOS is selling its 1 gigabit internet service for $79.99, which includes TV and phone, but requires a two year contract.

Last month, Charter also upped the speed of its baseline internet service, which was 60 Mbps.

"Last month, we increased the flagship starting speed of Spectrum internet from 60 Mbps to 100 Mbps across the entire state,"Russell said.

Spectrum's standalone internet service is currently being sold at a promotional rate of $44.99 a month, a $20 discount to the true rate, although when internet service is bundled with phone and TV service it is being sold for about $30.

However, getting into Spectrum's higher speed internet plan has not been automatic. Those who are in old Time Warner Cable plans are not switched out automatically by Spectrum.

Russell says those who would like to switch can call a customer service representative and ask to be taken out of a legacy Time Warner Cable deal and move into a Spectrum offer, but the company is not going to switch someone out without permission.

When Spectrum was officially launched in New York in March of 2017, it stopped selling Time Warner Cable's plans, but didn't take away those plans for those who were already in them.

"They can keep their legacy Time Warner Cable package or switch to Spectrum, if they prefer," Russell said. "We believe they will find Spectrum is a better value with superior products and services, like the 100 Mbps starting speed for Spectrum internet.

A 100 Mpbs internet plan is unheard of for most former Time Warner Cable customers, who were more accustomed to a standard internet package of 20 Mbps at a similar price.

So a former Time Warner Cable customer in a 20 Mbps plan paying more than $70 a month for standalone service might want to consider the Spectrum baseline internet plan of 100 Mbps, which is cheaper.

Internet speeds matter for things like downloading video games and movies and other large files. For instance, to download an online version of the Madden 18 video game on 25 Mbps takes several hours or longer versus just minutes with gigabit speeds, depending on the connection.

Under the terms of its merger deal with Time Warner Cable Charter is required not only to increase internet speeds but also expand its cable network to homes where Time Warner Cable did not reach.

To do so, the company runs its wire and hardware to within reach of more homes, an expensive and painstaking process that requires getting permission from other utilities to use their poles or by burying the cable underground in new neighborhoods.

In the Capital Region, the most rural areas often do not get cable TV service because the lines do not reach them. Verizon's FiOS service for instance is only available west of the Hudson River and not available in Rensselaer County.

Statewide, Charter has built out to 42,889 new addresses statewide on its way to its goal of 145,000 new homes and businesses.

That includes 7,450 additional addresses in the immediate four-county area around Albany. For instance, Charter extended to 1,720 addresses in Rensselaer County, targeting not only urban Troy and Rensselaer but also Petersburgh,  Schodack and Cropseyville.