Comcast increases Internet speed

CHICAGO - Comcast said it is increasing the download speed of its Blast! high-speed Internet service in the greater Chicago region by 50 percent - to 75 Mbps - for no additional charge. The increase will apply to a significant portion of the 70 percent of regional customers in Central and Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan who are in Xfinity Internet service tiers with download speeds of 50 Mbps or greater. The company also announced a new "Extreme 150" Mbps service tier in the region."Speed increases, along with the addition of Wi-Fi hot spots customers can access on the go throughout the Greater Chicago Region and in locations across the country, add significant value to our Internet service," said John Crowley, Comcast's regional senior vice president. Crowley said that the number of Xfintiy Wi-Fi hot spots in the region is approaching 900,000 and nationwide has surpassed 8 million.