Charter Communications recently announced it will launch the one of the fastest widely available Internet services in the US, capable of delivering 60Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps uploads. Called Charter High-Speed Internet Ultra60, the service will initially be released in downtown St. Louis before expanding to other, unnamed markets. At the same time, the Internet provider says it will upgrade its Charter High-Speed Internet Max service to give subscribers 20Mbps download speeds instead of the current 16Mbps without increasing their monthly rates.

Compared to DSL speeds, download times for a 4GB movie are estimated at about 40 times faster with the 60Mbps plan. The company also notes that the faster plan gives more headroom for multiple large downloads.

Competitors, such as Comcast and Verizon, offer 50Mbps services via DOCSIS 3 and fiber optics, respectively; Charter uses the same DOCSIS 3 technology as Comcast to deliver the new service but says the infrastructure in place to support higher speeds if the market demands it. Its prices match the Comcast service at about $140 per month, while Verizon charges nearly $145. Pricing for Charter's upgraded Internet Max sits at $55 per month.