RCN to offer Gigabit internet service in Chicago

RCN is rolling out high-speed internet service to its Chicago-area customers.

The digital services company said it will accept reservations for its Gigabit service beginning Thursday, Sept. 29, at rcn.com/gettagig.

Gigabit internet service is already available from AT&T U-verse and Comcast. The high-speed service, with download speeds of 1,000 Mbps, is capable of downloading a high-definition movie in less than a minute.

“The capacity provided by 1 Gigabit is massive, and it more than keeps up with the explosive growth of internet usage,” Chris Fenger, RCN’s chief operating officer, said in a news release. “Year-over-year internet usage is increasing 35 to 50 percent and the average home now has 7.8 internet-connected devices, which represents an increase of 64 million devices over the past year alone.”

RCN said its Gigabit service will start at $69.99 a month without a contract or data caps.

The high-speed service will use the same wiring already in customers’ homes.