Report Finds Gigabit Available to 60% of U.S. Households

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Gigabit internet is now available from the top 25 wireline ISPs, according to a gigabit households survey from Kagan.

The ISPs have used a combination of fiber and DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 technologies to provide the de facto standard that customers are beginning to expect (even if they don’t all sign up for this tier of service). As a result, an estimated six in 10 U.S. households now have access to gigabit Internet.

Gigabit Households

Different providers are using the different available technologies: While telcos are using fiber for symmetrical gigabit offerings; large cable operators have largely opted for DOCSIS 3.1 technology, which uses existing coaxial infrastructure with a new modulation scheme and modems. Smaller cable operators, on the other hand are bonding DOCSIS 3.0 channels to provide their gigabit Internet tier. Kagan adds that DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 technologies, while allowing for downstream gig speeds, are not able to provide symmetrical upload speeds.

Researchers also note that fiber-based gigabit accessibility typically has only limited availability, particularly in the early stages of a deployment. DOCSIS 3.1 on the other hand, enables operators to upgrade more quickly to the faster tier using their existing networks.

The Kagan survey looks at the top 25 telco and cable ISPs providing a gigabit tier within their respective footprints, using data from more than 3,000 locations in 49 states (with only Montana without a gigabit tier, among states surveyed) and Washington, D.C. Locations are a mix of metro and small towns. The availability of gigabit internet is up from just a handful of providers that featured the tier a few years ago, following Alphabet Inc.’s Google Fiber launch of its initial offering in Kansas City.