TWC Maxx in Charlotte: What You Need to Know

TWC Maxx Internet Service is 300Mb.

We’ve been in several meetings with a local Charlotte executive from Time Warner Cable (TWC) and wanted to share the latest news on their broadband Internet upgrade to TWC Maxx. This story is not an endorsement post, nor a bashing post, rather a statement of facts as we understand them. (Be sure to read the Equipment section below – it’s critical to achieving the bandwidth speeds promised by TWC Maxx. We recently purchased a gigabit wif-fi router for less than $100 (TP-LINK Archer C7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router) and have been pleased with the results.)

TWC is one of the dominant Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the greater Charlotte region and their Internet upgrade plans have a major impact on community access. TWC has committed to increasing Internet speeds across their product lineup. Read about all the speed increases here.

Coverage – TWC Maxx will blanket the Charlotte region

TWC has one of the largest footprints across the Charlotte region. Within the city limits they claim to be able to provide broadband service to 99.9% of residents. Along with residential service TWC also provides Internet service to Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. The best news we heard last week was TWC Maxx will be available throughout the greater Charlotte region, not just within the city limits. Unlike Google Fiber, TWC Maxx is being deployed in Huntersville, Matthews, Gastonia, Mint Hill, Waxhaw, and other towns and cities around Charlotte. This is good news for those in Union County, Gaston County, Iredell County, etc. who are looking for faster Internet service. Maybe Google Fiber will follow suit one day, but we doubt it will be anytime in the next couple of years; it will take them quite a while to construct their Charlotte network.

Speed – Better, but trails Google Fiber and AT&T GigaPower

TWC Maxx speed test in Kansas

TWC Maxx is a 300Mb download, 20Mb upload service (although results can vary). This is much faster than any of TWC's existing consumer Internet service plans. However Google Fiber and AT&T GigaPower both have symmetrical Gigabit Internet speed; 1000Mb download and 1000Mb upload. Will you know the download difference between 300Mb and Gigabit? In some cases yes, but in other cases no. Streaming Netflix will make no difference. Neither will surfing the web or checking email. However if you want to download a large file, like a high definition video or large data file, TWC Maxx will be 3 times slower than Google Fiber and AT&T. There’s nothing magic here, simply a difference in the speed. If this matters to you, the full Gigabit service will make a difference.

Upload speed is the weak link in TWC’s service. Many of us are using cloud storage, uploading videos to YouTube and Vimeo, uploading pictures to Flickr, etc. Google Fiber and AT&T’s upload speed is 50x that of TWC Maxx. This is a substantial difference (think of waiting just 1 minute to upload your Vimeo video on Gigabit, versus 50 minutes on Maxx). The Maxx service upload speed is far superior to TWC’s current Internet upload speeds, but falls short of the Gigabit providers. Take heed if this is important to you.

Please note that the more online devices, the slower the speed. Think of how many devices you have in your home that are online. It could easily be over 20. Think of all your phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, Internet connected Blu-ray Players and TVs, and media streaming devices like Roku or Apple TV. For a family of 4 it would not be unreasonable for 20+ devices to be online simultaneously. The Internet of Things will increase this number dramatically over time as your appliances and other household items become Internet connected. We believe the more bandwidth you can have, the better.

When – This year

TWC is currently migrating their cable television service to all- digital throughout the Charlotte region. While this is causing analog consumers to install a converter box for every TV in the household, a benefit is that bandwidth is being freed up on their network to use for Internet. Our local contact told us that individual channels are currently being migrated. Once complete, individual neighborhoods will be converted to TWC Maxx service. TWC Internet customers will “automatically” have access to the faster speeds (forewarning – read the equipment section below). The executive told us TWC Maxx will be available across the Charlotte region by November 2015.

Cost

At this time TWC is planning to provide increased speeds for each service level at no additional cost. In order to receive the 300Mb TWC Maxx service you must be on the Ultimate Plan ($64.99/mo). Other service plans will receive speed increases, but below the 300Mb Maxx level.

TWC is facing competitive pressure from Google Fiber and AT&T which have been pricing their Gigabit service at $70/month. TWC would likely have lots of customer defections if they didn’t attempt to match their competitors in speed and price. Isn’t competition great? We really have Google Fiber to thank for this; it’s commonly referred to as ‘The Google Fiber Effect’. That aside, let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth; we’ll take the faster speed from TWC at no additional cost.

Equipment – Forewarning, this section gets slightly ‘techie’

Once TWC Maxx is available you will immediately see the speed difference, right? Not so fast (pun intended). Until now, equipment capacity far exceeded the speeds delivered by the ISPs. Your tried and true Motorola Surfboard 5101 cable modem only supports 30Mb. Why? Because it was built on DOCSIS 2.0 standards. Newer modems like the Surfboard 6121 have been built on the DOCSIS 3.0 standard, but even that modem will max out (yes, another pun) on TWC’s network at 50Mb. In order to achieve the 300Mb download speed on TWC Maxx you will have to either lease a suitable modem from TWC, or purchase a new one. Here is a list of approved TWC modems and their speed limits.

Beyond your cable modem you need to also ensure your wireless router supports 300Mb+ speed. The newer 802.11ac standard routers support Gigabit speed, and if you don’t already have one you may need to purchase one. Lastly, your device may limit your throughput speed. Older computers may have a Fast Ethernet card, otherwise known as a 10/100 card, which limits you to 100Mb. And your computer’s wireless card will need to be 802.11ac in order to receive the 300Mb speed. You may need to upgrade your device in order to effectively utilize TWC Maxx. Mobile devices typically won’t reach 300Mb speeds. This iPad Internet speed performance test showed a maximum tested speed just under 75Mb – and only with the 4th generation iPad. We confirmed this at the recent GigHacks event held at DC74 Data Centers.

If you get TWC Maxx service, and your speed test doesn’t reflect 300Mb download speed, the issue may not be TWC as a service provider. Be sure to examine your equipment specifications to see if that is throttling your speed. It should be noted that Google Fiber and AT&T do not work with your own modem – you must use Google Fiber’s Network Box, and AT&T’s U-verse box.

7/26 update: We exchanged messages with Triangle Fiber Forums (@WakeGigFiber on Twitter). They informed us that if you subscribe to TWC Maxx as Internet only (no TV) it will require a truck roll to remove video trap filter from pedestal. TWC Maxx requires 16 channel bonding up from 8. One of the 16 channels is 555mhz, the video trap blocks that frequency and causes issues with the cable modem. If you 'only get 50-60Mbps download on your Maxx connection, this may be the issue, and removal of the trap by a TWC technician should resolve the matter. Triangle Fiber Forums also reported "we've had ours for a little over a week. I've still spent all day uploading vacation video and photos... upload needs some love. Also of a note, we are getting 351mbps download due to standard over-provisioning."

Summary

The rollout of TWC Maxx service is a boon for the region. It will be available throughout the Charlotte area, offering Internet speeds up to 6x faster than today, for no additional cost. It’s not as fast as Google Fiber and AT&T GigaPower, but will be more widely available. Be sure to check your equipment for compatibility with the faster speed.

Charlotte Hearts Gigabit will be testing the three major ISPs and will keep readers posted on our findings. We welcome reader input! Please email your experiences with TWC Maxx, AT&T GigaPower, and Google Fiber: info@charlotteheartsgigabit.com.

How Fast is a Gigabit?

We recently came across a blog post by Trevor Jones, vice president of business development at GWI, where he compiled some quick at-a-glance comparisons between Gigabit and 'regular' broadband.

Takeaways include:

1.      Download a HD movie: Five seconds on Gigabit, 10 minutes for regular broadband.

2.      Number of HD movies you can stream on Gigabit: Up to 208 streams. Regular broadband is just 2 streams.

((* Note: In order to achieve gigabit internet speeds you need to have a computer, modem, and AC wi-fi router that support the speed. We recently purchased a gigabit wif-fi router for less than $100 (TP-LINK Archer C7 AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router) and have been pleased with the results.))

While Google Fiber has always espoused the benefits of Gigabit (like this post) we felt that a picture says a thousand words. Below is a terrific infographic from GWI that we want to share with the Charlotte Hearts Gigabit community:

Infographic courtesy of the GWI Blog: What's a gigabit and do I really want one to my home?

City Memo Includes Broadband Updates

On June 17, 2015 the City of Charlotte issued Council-Manager Memo #44 which included highlights of recent activities on broadband Internet. This month the city highlighted Google Fiber’s official start of construction, and the city’s decision to join Raleigh and the 100 other member cities in the Next Century Cities coalition.

Google Fiber Construction

Staff Resource: Kruti Desai, CDOT, 704-353-1795, kdesai@charlottenc.gov

Google Fiber has begun construction of its new high speed fiberoptic network for Charlotte. Construction is beginning in the Highland Creek area in northeast Charlotte (District 4). Google plans to begin with two crews and increase to fourteen crews by mid-August, peaking at approximately 150 crews. Charlotte Department of Transportation right of way staff permits and inspects all work in the City right of way. Google’s contactor will place residential door hangers prior to construction in neighborhoods, which will include general information and a 24/7 Google Fiber Construction information line (877) 454-6959. Citizens can also sign up for updates at https://fiber.google.com/cities/charlotte/support/.

Next Century Cities Program

Staff Resource: Tom Warshauer, NBS, 704-336-4522, twarshauer@charlottenc.gov

With Charlotte poised as a gigabit city that seeks to bridge the digital divide, being able to readily connect with other communities to share expertise and learn best practices will be invaluable. Next Century Cities (NCC), a national 501(c)3 provides this forum across more than 80 member cities of all sizes. The City of Charlotte is a member city. Below is additional information about NCC.

NCC supports communities and their elected officials as they seek to ensure that all residents have access to fast, affordable, reliable internet. It helps equip cities to meet key challenges and obstacles in developing broadband strategies, and it elevates the importance of broadband adoption nationally. There are over 80 participating communities with which Charlotte can form city-to-city learning opportunities. The non-profit is supported by the New Venture Fund, the Ford Foundation, Knight Foundation, the Open Society Foundation, Google, and other donors. There is no cost to be an NCC member.

Deb Socia, the Executive Director of Next Century Cities, is no stranger to Charlotte. She was one of the panelists at the recent CBJ Global Charlotte conference (read our recap of the event), was a speaker at one of the city’s Digital Inclusion meetings, and spoke at the Best Minds Conference at Queens University in March.

Next Century Cities just released Connecting 21st Century Communities: A Policy Agenda For Broadband Stakeholders (read here). The Charlotte Hearts Gigabit initiative is highlighted as a best practice in the Community section.

There is no doubt that Charlotte is focused on becoming the Crown Jewel of Gigabit Internet cities!

What Would Google Fiber Need From Gaston County?

The following is a guest post written by Robert Reddick, a citizen of Mount Holly, North Carolina.

Google Fiber has now started construction in the city of Charlotte, and here in Gaston County our communities would love to have 1,000 Megabit speeds as well. The Charlotte project used outreach and advanced subscriber development to draw Google's interest, but what can we do here in our county to bring the speed - are subscribers enough?

After attending the Gaston Gigabit kickoff meeting I drafted a list of what Google might need from Gaston County. I see Google and their Google Fiber project as a different type of investment on their end. To Google, Gigibit speed internet service is more about the "attention economy" where revenue comes from advertising, and not line sales per se.

So what then does Google Fiber need from Gaston County? I believe they are interested in demonstrated outcomes and I think we are the perfect laboratory for their efforts. The idea being that this project may not be about Gigabit anything, but about using bandwidth to improve communities. I think we should be open to that here in Gaston County.  

 Consider these "solution laboratories" that Gaston County can bring to the table:

• A superfund site - to show how IoT can improve environmentals.
• Low income residents - to grow their audience; refine their free-access tier; and to demonstrate that they are not just about paying subscribers.
• A rural community - to show how a centralized fiber zone can leech services out to under-served communities.
• Another North Carolina investment - to continue to evolve their support for NC as we are now a destination state.
• A manufacturing partner - to demonstrate how site-to-site Gigabit service can change how a company operates, especially around video teleconference.
• A trade school - to demonstrate how investing in programmers and network technicians can drive an under-served community to become a power center. Similar story around nursing staff and other high-demand Associates training programs that can very quickly improve one’s "lot in life".
• Incubators - Important for education, business development, branding, and for regional events.
• Public events, especially long-themed initiatives - for ongoing tech-education and branding development.
• A willing Government partner - to demonstrate that their office products and cloud hosting are as good as Microsoft’s solutions.
• A privacy partner - To demonstrate trust in Google's operations, in how they handle personal and business security.
• Advertising space, especially digital and outdoor installation - for brand development and community communications.
• An outdoor civic space, a city-grid - to trial Wi-Fi hotspot boxes for walkup Wi-Fi.
• A community willing to test e-government and e-alerts - in an effort to take emergency alerts and homeland messaging from old-school non-interactive television, to new school SMS and google-TV methods.
• A community willing to challenge muni-internet service legislation.
• A police department partnership - to demonstrate how judicial and policing applications can benefit from Google's facial recognition capabilities, and align that with privacy concerns - the super fine line of privacy, auto-recognition, and predictive policing. 

Summary: 

This may not be about our needs, but about Google Fiber’s needs, and how through that we can service our community with advancements, capabilities, business relocations, and regional promotion.

Every city in America wants faster Internet. What community though is willing to challenge Google Fiber to bring real solutions, and not just access? The apps will come, yes, and people who can afford these services will grow, but the real opportunity for economic, industrial, and social development in Gaston County is much more grounded in being a test-lab for change than in subscribers and other low-hanging and obvious outcomes. 

Give away nothing, be willing to re-arrange everything, and make that happen by putting social improvement square on the agenda and challenging those partners that will listen to create change that is substantial, sustainable and that matters.

The gas in Gaston County can be our willingness to test-lab what's necessary and shared by the carrier and our community. There is simply no reason to beg for bandwidth, but instead, offer a rare but ready willingness to become part of true twenty first century progress.

For more information on the community effort to bring Gigabit Internet to Gaston County go to GastonGigabit.com.

Robert Reddick
Citizen Mount Holly North Carolina
http://robertreddick.com/

Gaston County has Gigabit Fever!

Dr. Stephen Hannon leads Gigabit charge in Gaston Co.

Leaders in Gaston County, NC have seen a glimpse of the future for what Gigabit Internet can mean for a community. The county recently commissioned Dr. Stephen Hannon to head a steering committee to explore how best to attract ISPs to build a Gigabit infrastructure. Modeled after Charlotte Hearts Gigabit, the Gaston Gigabit effort has brought together the business, government, entrepreneurship, and technology leaders to drive the initiative.

Gastonia East Rotary meeting June 1, 2015.

The effort kicked off at the Gastonia East Rotary meeting on June 1, 2015. Dr. Hannon presented the Gigabit opportunity to a packed room, followed by Alan Fitzpatrick’s presentation on ‘What Could Gigabit Internet Mean for Gaston County’ (view the presentation here). It was great to see such enthusiastic support from the business leaders in the community!

Residents of Gaston County are encouraged to utilize the resources on GastonGigabit.com to stay up to speed with news, a schedule of events, resource links, and updates on developments. The webpage lists the Gigabit advocates engaged in the effort and includes pictures from some of the events. Most important, the site contains a Sign Up form to express your interest in getting Gigabit to Gaston County. The more ‘demand’ that can be substantiated, the more attractive it will be for ISPs to build the infrastructure. Please encourage everyone you know in Gaston County to consider signing up to show their support.

Gaston Gigabit Steering Committee meeting June 25, 2015.

The Rotary meeting was followed by the first Steering Committee meeting on June 25, 2015. The Hannons graciously hosted the first meeting at the Hannon Orthodontics office in Gastonia. The meeting focused on Gigabit Education, Evangelism, and generating Excitement. A good first step is to educate all parties (businesses, local colleges/universities, non-profit organizations/foundations, local elected officials and the general public) on the benefits of Gigabit Internet with demos and tangible examples they can understand and embrace. The team is exploring how best to begin this process, so stay tuned for information and progress on these efforts. How do you stay informed? By subscribing to the Gaston Gigabit mailing list!