Customers in Reno will get a boost in their video conferencing and file upload speeds
Spectrum customers in Reno-Sparks will be seeing faster uploads this year as the company launched faster gigabit upstream speeds in the area.
Spectrum’s faster gigabit upstream service aims to match users’ upload speeds with their download speeds. Reno and Rochester, Minnesota, served as the first trial markets a couple of years ago when Spectrum first started testing faster upstreams.
Faster uploads are especially helpful for customers who use upstream-heavy activities such as playing augmented or virtual reality games or content creators who upload a lot of videos online.
The faster upstream speeds will “further enhance applications like video conferencing, gaming, AR/VR and sharing large video files, and position the network for the applications of the future,” said Wally Bakare, Charter Communications’ regional vice president. Charter operates the Spectrum brand of services.
Existing customers will not need new special equipment for the faster speeds or pay extra on top of their current plans for the benefit. Spectrum, however, is increasing fees overall for its TV and internet services on Jan. 30, which the company says is in response to market conditions.
“Spectrum has taken a stand for a new, customer-focused model that provides more value and choice for video entertainment when negotiating all of our programming agreements,” said Lara Pritchard, Charter Communications vice president of communications.
“Despite these ongoing efforts, programmers continually raise fees for their content, which are passed through as increased fees to viewers and drive higher costs across the entire industry.”
Upload vs. download: Internet upstream and downstream speeds explained
Traditionally, downstream speeds — which determine how fast you can view online videos or download files and content — are much faster than upstream speeds.
Internet customers who get download speeds of 200 Mbps, megabits per second, for example, typically get upload speeds of 20 Mbps. It’s the reason why uploading a video on YouTube is much slower than downloading a video with a similar file size.
With Spectrum’s faster gigabit upstream speeds, customers will now have their upload speeds match their download speeds depending on their service.
The change means that Spectrum Internet customers will get upload speeds of up to 300 megabits per second (Mbps) while Spectrum Internet Ultra customers will get upload speeds of up to 500 Mbps. Customers who are subscribed to Spectrum’s Internet Gig service will get even faster upload speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.
The new upstream speeds can be more than 25 times faster than Spectrum’s previous service offerings, according to the company.
How do customers get Spectrum’s faster upstream speeds?
Existing Spectrum customers will automatically get the new faster upstream speeds.
For Reno-Sparks customers, the change will be applied sometime early this year, according to the company. Otherwise, they can also call Spectrum Customer Service to be upgraded immediately.
New customers who sign up will also receive the faster upstream speeds, the company added.
To reach Spectrum’s customer service line, call: 833-267-6094. More details about its Internet plans and speeds can be found at the official Spectrum website.
Tyler Fields is your internet guru, delving into the latest trends, developments, and issues shaping the online world. With a focus on internet culture, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, Tyler keeps readers informed about the dynamic landscape of the internet and its impact on our digital lives.
