Comcast Corp. is getting serious about going after business customers.
The Philadelphia-based cable company, which serves the bulk of the Twin Cities market, said Tuesday that it's doubling its top Internet speed for business customers to its fastest yet: downloads of up to 100 megabits per second.
But the new service doesn't come cheap: $369.95 a month.
The service is being offered first to business customers in the Twin Cities. It will eventually be rolled out to business customers nationally as well as residential customers.
"Internet speeds this fast are a game-changer for businesses," Bill Stemper, president of Comcast Business Services, said in a statement.
When Comcast doubled the top speed to 50 megabits per second last year, small and medium-sized businesses took advantage of the access to connect regional offices, support remote employees and perform large file transfers, but they wanted even faster speeds, Stemper said.
The new service also allows uploads of up to 15 megabits per second, and it also includes software, applications, support and other options. Businesses can stick with the 50-megabit service for $189.95.
Qwest Communications, Comcast's chief competitor in the Twin Cities for high-speed Internet service, was promoting on its website an introductory offer of $29.99 per month for speeds up to 20 megabits per second for its small-business customers. After four months, it's $100.40 per month with a three-year contract, according to Qwest.
SUZANNE ZIEGLER
