Comcast, Verizon square off in Northwest

Comcast has announced it will roll out 50 Mbps Internet service in parts of Washington state, pitting it head-to-head with Verizon's current offerings in the region. Verizon, already planning battle in Comcast's front lawn, has a move of its own.

Oregon residents will get the benefit of Comcast's DOCSIS 3.0 technology rollout, a move driven in part by Verizon's aggressive FiOS rollout. Verizon already offers 50 Mbps service in many FiOS areas, easily trumping the stock 16 Mbps access many cable companies currently offer.

However, Verizon plans to drop the ace up its sleeve soon - a 100 Mbps offering. The company has long said the fiber-to-the-home infrastructure it was deploying was capable of at least 100 Mbps, but a combination of marketing people and backend network buildout seems to have limited Verizon from dropping The Big One - until now.

Earlier this month, Verizon submitted its paperwork for a FiOS TV cable franchise in the City of Brotherly Love - home of Comcast.  Let the duopoly price wars begin!

For more:
- Comcast comes to Oregon. Article [1]

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