Time Warner Cable said it has begun to notify customers in San Antonio of coming “TWC Maxx” upgrades that will clear the way for faster broadband speeds and the introduction of a new “enhanced” HD-DVR.
The upgrade will goose the speed offered by TWC’s high-speed Internet tiers at no additional cost – Standard will rise from 15 Mbps to 50 Mbps; Extreme will jump from 30 Mbps to 200 Mbps; and customers on TWC's Ultimate tier will go from 50 Mbps down to 300 Mbps.
On the competitive front, AT&T added San Antonio to the list of cities that will get GigaPower, the telco’s 1-Gig-capable fiber platform, last summer, but has not yet launched 1-Gig services there. Google Fiber is still considering expanding its 1-Gig platform to San Antonio, but did not include the city on its recently announced list of expansion markets.
TWC said the first phase of the project, which includes the reclamation of analog spectrum, will bring the faster speeds to about 750,000 subs in the first phase of the rollout through the end of March, with completion in San Antonio expected by the end of July.
Areas that are part of the first phase of the TWC Maxx upgrade include Balcones Heights, China Grove, Far North East side, Kirby, Pecan Valley, Shavano Park, Somerset, and Windcrest, among others.
In addition to San Antonio, TWC Maxx upgrades are underway or complete in Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and New York. Other TWC markets on tap this year include San Diego, Hawaii, Charlotte and Raleigh.
TWC has also begun to deploy WiFi hotspots in small business locations that will be accessible by the MSO’s broadband subs as well as to cable modem customers that get service from other members of the Cable WiFi roaming alliance – Cablevision Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications and Bright House Network. TWC plans to bring WiFi to outdoor locations toward the end of the first quarter.
