Photo by Dave Winer. Source: Wikimedia Commons

This story has been updated. 

Comcast will expand its “10 gigabit fiber network” to the Atlanta market.

The company announced today that it will begin offering the service for businesses in midtown, Duluth, Vinings, Norcross and Alpharetta.

“The fiber network will extend to several multi-tenant office buildings, such as the Atlanta Galleria Office Park, which is conveniently located at the crossroads of I-285 and I-75 and home to a growing number of businesses,” a press release from the company says. “The project is part of a larger national effort by Comcast Business to extend its network in targeted metropolitan regions and its services to more businesses.”

The announcement could be a sign that Comcast, like its main Atlanta rival AT&T, plans to compete with Google Fiber, which is contemplating bringing its high speed service to Atlanta. The company is expected to make its announcement by the end of this year, which means any day now. If the metro area receives the Google Fiber service, it will be 100 times faster than the speeds that are currently available in this market, the company says.

While the company has remained quiet about its plans, there has been one sign that the company is about to green light the service here. Google recently posted some job openings in the Atlanta area for its Google Fiber service.

Decaturish asked spokesperson Alex Horwitz whether the company also plans to offer this service to residential customers.

“Not as part of this announcement, no,” he said. “(It’s) just for business customers. However, in 2015, Comcast aims to start testing what’s known as DOCSIS 3.1, an upgrade to cable Internet technology being adopted by cable companies that can deliver 1 to 10 gigabit speeds. This effort has the potential to benefit millions of homes, as opposed to select areas.  Our investment also comes in the form of more Xfinity store openings and the deployment of outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots in Atlanta and across the south next year.”

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Here is the full press release from Comcast:

Comcast Business Expands 10 Gigabit Fiber Network Across Metro Atlanta

Multi-million dollar expansion increases access to Ethernet, Internet, voice and cloud services; poised to accelerate growth of existing area businesses and attract new businesses

ATLANTA – December 4, 2014 – Comcast Business today announced it is expanding its fiber network across metro Atlanta, passing hundreds of businesses throughout midtown Atlanta, Vinings, Norcross, Duluth and Alpharetta. These businesses can benefit from Comcast Business Ethernet Services, which are designed for businesses, schools, hospitals, and other organizations that require a reliable, high-performance network to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Comcast’s multi-million dollar infrastructure investment will support its broader regional efforts to expand local high-speed communications network services across metro Atlanta. One business that stands to benefit from Comcast’s expansion is I.B.I.S., Inc., a Peachtree Corners-based firm that provides enterprise business solutions for customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning and business intelligence. The company has been named to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Best Places to Work list for the third year in a row.

“After 25 years as a leading Microsoft Dynamics Partner, we’re continuing to focus on excellence and implementing the latest and greatest technologies for our clients,” said Andy Vabulas, CEO, I.B.I.S., Inc. “Until recently, however, we had limited options when it came to Internet connectivity, which made it difficult to operate our business efficiently. Comcast Business’s Ethernet expansion into the area will give us the capacity, scalability and speeds we need to operate efficiently, better compete in the marketplace, and build on our strong success here in the Atlanta area.”

The fiber network will extend to several multi-tenant office buildings, such as the Atlanta Galleria Office Park, which is conveniently located at the crossroads of I-285 and I-75 and home to a growing number of businesses. The project is part of a larger national effort by Comcast Business to extend its network in targeted metropolitan regions and its services to more businesses. Comcast Business offers local Atlanta businesses four Ethernet services, including:

–       Ethernet Private Line – point-to-point connectivity between two customer sites for bandwidth-intensive applications.

–       Ethernet Virtual Private Line – a point-to-multipoint connection that allows customers to tailor bandwidth, performance characteristics and cost to meet the needs of their applications.

–       Ethernet Network Service – multipoint-to-multipoint connectivity to connect organizations with high-bandwidth requirements and multiple locations across Comcast’s network.

–       Ethernet Dedicated Internet – continuous, high-bandwidth connectivity between customers’ LANs and the public Internet.

“This investment reflects Comcast’s commitment to providing local businesses, many of which have somewhat limited choices in providers and technology, with the platform necessary to compete on a much broader level,” said Bob Deckard, vice president of Comcast Business in Atlanta. “Our effort will help the business community create more jobs and attract more clientele to the area, putting Atlanta firmly on the map as a premier technology hub.”

All of Comcast Business’s Ethernet services are delivered over an advanced network that spans 140,000 miles across 39 states and the District of Columbia. Serving 20 of the top 25 U.S. markets, Comcast’s network features a 100 Gbps backbone and expanded local footprint through Ethernet over HFC. Bandwidth is available up to 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and can be scaled in increments and offered in three different classes of service, backed by strict service level agreements and monitored 24x7x365 from Comcast’s dedicated Network Operations Centers.

Comcast was the first service provider in the world to offer Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) CE 2.0 certified Ethernet services and was also the first service provider to achieve all three of the previous CE 1.0 certifications (MEF 9, 14 and 18). Recently Comcast received four MEF Ethernet Excellence Awards, including the prestigious Best Service of the Year for North America. In addition, the company moved up two spots to the number six position and is now the second largest cable MSO in terms of Ethernet services in the Mid-Year 2014 U.S. Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD from Vertical Systems Group. 

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About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Comcast Cable:

Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses.  Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings.  Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company.  Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Clarification: Comcast contacted Decaturish to clarify that the company is expanding its existing service in the area.