Comcast is currently testing a recently installed DOCSIS 3.1 modem on its network in Philadelphia, the company announced in a Tuesday blog post.

According to Comcast CTO Tony Werner, the modem will allow the company to deliver gigabit Internet speeds to its customers in the near future. Werner said Comcast believes the advancement marks the first use of a DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer-facing network.

“At a home in the Philadelphia area, we took the next important step forward in delivering gigabit speed broadband over our hybrid fiber coaxial network,” Werner wrote. “The test used the standard cable connections that we have in homes across the country. All we needed was a new modem, a software upgrade to the device that serves that neighborhood, and a few good engineers.”

Werner said the new modem is backwards compatible, which means Comcast won’t have to replace its existing infrastructure to deliver gigabit speeds.

Werner said testing is expected to continue over the coming months, and will expand into more test homes so the company can “observe how it performs in multiple real-world environments.” In addition to the trials in Philadelphia, tests are also being conducted in other locations in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

The company is aiming to offer customers a new gigabit speed choice before the end of 2016, Werner said.