Midco, a provider of Internet, cable TV and phone services in the Upper Midwest, is planning field trials of its Midco Gig Internet service in Fargo, North Dakota, in March.
The company said that the second metro area — Sioux Falls, South Dakota — will also be ready for Midco gigabit Internet speeds by the end of 2016.
Telecom network vendor Cisco and Midco earlier conducted field lab trials with DOCSIS 3.1-powered cable modem. Midco will deliver advanced gigabit Internet technology to most customers by the end of 2017.
Midco serves more than 330,000 customers in nearly 350 communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Last year, Midco deployed the Cisco cBR-8 converged broadband router to increase network capacity for DOCSIS 3.1 broadband and to accelerate the growth of its cable broadband network.
DOCSIS 3.1 technology allows Midco to offer Internet-powered video, voice and data services with gigabit speedsto business and residential customers. They need a DOCSIS 3.1 modem and a wireless gateway. Gateway versions of DOCSIS 3.1 modems with integrated Wi-Fi and other features will be available to customers later in the year.
“Speed matters to our customers, and we have made it a priority to reshape our network to deliver the fastest, most reliable Internet service possible,” said Jon Pederson, chief technology officer at Midco.
Kelly Ahuja, senior vice president, Service Provider business, products and solutions, Cisco, said that Midco customers will be among the first in the US to enjoy the fastest Internet connection available.
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