Detroit’s development has been moving at a dizzying pace. Demand for improved access to information and resources has never been higher or more needed than now, according to Luther Keith,  executive director of ARISE Detroit!

That’s why today’s announcement that Comcast can now deliver speeds up to 1 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) to residential customers throughout the entire city of Detroit is welcome news and could not be better timed, according to Keith.

“Residents need improved tools to keep up,” says Keith, who is encouraging residents to attend his organization’s Neighborhoods Rising Summit on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Wayne County Community College’s Detroit facility to gain access to new information and resources aimed at accelerating neighborhood improvement efforts.

Comcast is the first to step-up and provide citywide 1 Gig service offered in Detroit and one of the first in the nation, according to a Comcast spokesperson, who noted that Comcast will use DOCSIS 3.1 technology to deliver these speeds over the company’s existing network infrastructure.

“We’re delivering gigabit speeds over a network that already passes thousands of homes across all neighborhoods within the city of Detroit,” said Tim Collins, senior vice president of Comcast’s Heartland region, which includes Michigan.  “As consumers continue to rely even more heavily on the internet, we have the advanced technology in place to meet this growing demand.  We know our customers who live outside of Detroit are also eager for faster speeds, and we plan to roll out this new service into surrounding metro areas and across Michigan in 2017.”

The base price of the new service with no contract is $139.95 per month. Comcast will also test promotional base pricing for $70 per month with a three-year service agreement and plans to introduce bundled packaging in the future.

The consumer introduction of DOCSIS 3.1 marks a major step forward in the evolution of ultra-high-speed broadband.  Once DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit Internet service is available in a market, customers with Gigabit-capable devices will be able to sign up for a new plan and experience the benefits of that speed.

“It’s exciting that Comcast is making this advanced technology available to Detroiters across the entire city,” said Tom Goddeeris, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation.  “Being able to tout that Detroit neighborhoods, including our own five communities, have 1 Gig Internet service can contribute to our revitalization and encourage more people to come back into the city.”

Editor’s Note: New and current Detroit customers can visit Xfinity.com/gig to learn about the new service and request additional information.