Cox brings 1 Gbps broadband to Irvine, Calif.

Cox Communications is enabling Park Place Apartment Homes in Irvine, Calif., to add 1 Gbps services to its list of amenities, making its residents the first in the cable MSO's Southern California market to get access to gigabit broadband services.

The launch in Irvine comes on the heels of Cox doubling its Internet speeds in October for California customers in its most popular tiers. 

At that time, the service provider announced that its High-Speed Internet Preferred tier customer speeds increased from 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps, while the Premier tier customer speeds increased from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps. In addition, Ultimate tier speeds increased from 100 Mbps to 150 Mbps.

Cox said that bringing 1 Gbps service to Irvine will help it create a stronger bond that it already enjoys with its customers in Orange County. It also gives it a leg up on traditional telcos like AT&T, which today provides 10-25 Mbps via its hybrid copper/fiber-based U-verse service.  

"Cox already offers the fastest residential Internet in Orange County, and with the launch at Park Place Apartment Homes, we're the first provider in Southern California to offer 1 gigabit speeds to residential customers," said Dave Bialis, senior vice president and region manager for Cox Communications in California, in a release. "As technology continues to advance and change how consumers use broadband, Cox will be well positioned to serve our customers in the future."

While the majority of cable operators have shied away from entering the 1 Gbps game, Cox announced earlier this year that it would provide 1 Gbps speeds in all of its markets by the end of 2016. To deliver the service, Cox will leverage a mix of GPON-based FTTP technology and extend into the remaining area of the market using DOCSIS 3.1-enabled equipment when it becomes available.

Besides Irvine, Cox has also launched its 1 Gbps service in Phoenix, where it will compete directly with incumbent telco CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL). It has also plans to build out fiber-based 1 Gbps service in Las Vegas and Omaha next, two markets where it will also compete with CenturyLink. 

Cox is one of several cable providers that have jumped into the 1 Gbps broadband game. A number of other regional cable operators, such as Midcontinent and Grande, have also launched similar services in the Midwest and Austin, Texas, for example.

For more:
- see the release

Special report: Gigabit Wars: The best prices for 1 Gbps service from ILECs, MSOs and municipal providers

Related articles:
Cox takes on AT&T and Google Fiber in 1 Gbps fiber race
Cox will face off with CenturyLink with 1 Gbps service in Phoenix, other markets
AT&T targets 100 cities for its fiber-based broadband service
Google Fiber to conduct small business pilot in Kansas City
Cincinnati Bell extends 1 Gbps fiber service to The Brandery, sets plan for broader rollout