Ultra high-speed internet access continues to expand in Oklahoma.
Cox is now offering 1 gigabit service called Gigablast throughout its Tulsa service area. It's more than three to more than 30 times faster than Cox’s previously fastest internet service.
Market Vice President Roger Ramseyer said super-fast internet is becoming more popular, especially with the average home expected to have 50 Web-connected devices in the coming years.
"There are not only refrigerators, but wearables, I am reminded frequently to check my phone to see what my thermostat temperature is or whether or not my dog is chewing anything up because she’s on camera in several rooms throughout our home," Ramseyer said.
Cox’s gigabit internet is delivered over not only new fiber lines, but also existing copper lines because of a shift to a new standard that packs more data into transmissions. Cox has been retooling its local network over the past few years as part of a $16 billion dollar national investment in ultra high-speed internet.
"The ability to deliver this kind of speed through the existing infrastructure meant that citizens didn’t have to have their backyards dug up to bury that new fiber," Ramseyer said.
Area city officials said faster internet in the Tulsa area will be important to economic development. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said Tulsa grew quickly after its founding because of access to natural resources.
"But the reality is, in the 21st Century, the cities that are going to get left in the dust are the cities that don’t have access to fast data and fast internet," Bynum said.
Tulsa’s Young Professionals pushed Cox for the ultra-high-speed service through the “Bring It To Tulsa” initiative, noting its potential to make the area more attractive to new residents and businesses.
Cox customers who want to subscribe to Gigablast will need to upgrade to equipment compatible with DOCSIS 3.1 in order to receive 1 gigabit speed.
