Tele Columbus begins DOCSIS 3.1 rollout

German cable operator Tele Columbus has begun a nationwide upgrade of its network to DOCSIS 3.1, which it said would give the vast majority of its 2.4 million homes served access to gigabit broadband.

Tele Columbus, which operates under the PŸUR brand, has thus far offered broadband speeds of up to 400Mbps across its network. It launched the first gigabit offering in Berlin in August 2019 to about 500,000 homes.

The rollout of DOCSIS 3.1 nationally has already seen 69,000 households upgraded. The first wave of the rollout has seen networks in Flensburg, Offenbach and Frankfurt am Main as well as Aschersleben and Naumburg in Saxony-Anhalt upgraded.

The operator is marketing its gigabit capability with promotional offers. Its Pure Speed 1,000 offering is free for the first six months for those signing up for a 24-month contract, and will subsequently be priced at €44 a month instead of the previous €55. The free-for-six-months offer also applies to customers who take broadband in combination with a TV package.

Tele Columbus said it expected the upgrade to be completed in mid-2023. The company has committed to invest €2 billion in upgrading its network.