As part of its ongoing TWC Maxx upgrade program, Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) has begun the rollout of faster Internet speeds in the Charlotte, NC, area, with the first wave of customers now having access to Internet speeds of up to 300 Mbps. The MSO first announced the Charlotte upgrades in March and began work in April. All six of TWC's Internet tiers in the area are expected to get speed increases by the end of the year.
Other elements of the TWC Maxx program include video and network reliability upgrades. The MSO announced the program in January 2014 and has since expanded it to a dozen markets. In addition to immediate upgrades, the project is also paving the way for DOCSIS 3.1-based services later.
"TWC Maxx is all about improving the customer experience - from faster Internet speeds and more On Demand HD content to greater reliability of our plant," said TWC spokesman Bobby Amirshahi. "Of course, the all-digital transformation sets the foundation for the introduction of 'Gigasphere' as the standard becomes available for market deployment."
The first phase of the upgraded Internet rollout in the Charlotte area is starting this week in East Charlotte, Old Steele Creek Road, the West Boulevard Corridor, West Morehead Street and Wilkinson Boulevard in the city of Charlotte, as well as the communities of Albemarle, Belmont, Bessemer City, Cramerton, Danby, Gastonia, Huntersville, Patterson Springs, Pineville, Plyer, Ranlo and Shelby.
TWC has also deployed more than 6,000 WiFi Hotspots throughout the Charlotte area, with more hotspots expected to be added through 2015.
Ron Hendrickson | Contributing Editor
As BTR's managing editor, Ron keeps the editorial wheels from coming off. He gathers and posts daily news, interviews cable's movers and shakers, and generally keeps his finger on the pulse of the industry. He joined BTR in 2010 and got his start in cable in 1998.