EXTREME 105: 105 MBPS DOWNLOAD SPEED FOR $105

With cable companies finding themselves increasingly in competition with themselves as some subscribers drop their cable packages and opt to watch TV shows via the Internet, Comcast has hit upon a way to offset the loss of revenue from the cord-cutters: offer super high speeds — at a hefty price. On Thursday, the nation’s largest cable company unveiled its Extreme 105 service, which will allow users to download files at 105 MBPS, making it the fastest residential Internet service. While the typical 2-hour movie takes about an hour to download in standard definition over ordinary high-speed connections, it would take two minutes using Extreme 105 (or about 5 minutes for a high-definition version). Comcast said that it will charge users signing up for the service $105 per month under a 12-month contract. It will initially be available in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago, Miami, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and the majority of Boston.