Faster Internet speeds coming

Comcast Corp. said Spokane-area Internet customers will have access to faster service, starting in December.

Comcast will introduce a new premium level of broadband catering to online video gamers and others who crave very fast upload and download speeds.

Its new “Extreme 50” residential service, at $139.95 a month, offers 50 megabits-per-second download speeds and up to 10 mbps upload speeds, the company said.

A second new residential broadband option runs $62.95 a month, and offers download speeds of 22 mbps and upload speeds of 5 mbps.

Both those tiers of service will require customers to switch to a different cable modem, which will be leased at $3 a month, said company spokesman Walt Neary.

Most current high-speed Internet customers who don’t upgrade will also see their speeds roughly double, Neary added.

Comcast Internet customers who pay more than $25 a month will find upload speeds changing from 8 mpbs to 16 mbps or from 6 mbps to 12, depending on how much they pay now per month, Neary said.

Comcast also is offering two new business-class Internet choices: For $189.95 a month a business will get 50 mbps/10 mbps. The second business tier, at $99.95 a month, provides 22 mbps downloads and 5 mbps uploads.

One goal of the new increases in broadband is to encourage third-party companies and entrepreneurs to develop applications and services Comcast subscribers might want, Neary said.