Lafayette is first in the nation to get Cox’s new broadband speed

Lafayette – the center of a high-stakes battle for Internet customers – is where Cox has chosen to launch its fastest service yet. Cox announced this morning the parish will be the first in the nation to get Ultimate Cox High Speed Internet Package. Powered by DOCSIS 3.0, a cable-exclusive technology that combines Internet channels, it offers customers download speeds of up to 50 Mbps, and uploads of up to 5 Mbps. The service is no doubt Cox’s answer to Lafayette Utilities System’s all-fiber optic network, which is coming online. LUS’ Extreme Internet will be the fastest in Louisiana. The publicly owned utility’s Extreme Internet offers 50 Mbps – for both downloading and uploading. LUS will charge $57.95 for Extreme; Cox did not indicate a price for Ultimate. Cox currently charges $56.99 for its premier package with PowerBoost, which, by comparison, offers downloading at 20 Mbps and uploading at 1.5 Mbps. LUS’ city-wide network will be built in four phases, which began in 2008 with a projected completion by 2010. The first customers will got service this spring; the entire city will be linked by 2011. EATEL’s Ultimate High-Speed Internet offers up to 30 Mbps downloads and 15 Mbps uploads.