Comcast brings 50 Mbps DOCSIS 3.0 service to Colorado

Hello, Qwest. It's Comcast, here to take on your VDSL2 enhanced speed efforts right in your Denver, Colo. market.

Following recent moves in Chicago and Minneapolis, Comcast will launch a 50 Mbps downstream "Extreme" speed broadband tier in Denver, a package obviously designed to challenge the launch of Qwest's VDSL2 service [1] with 40 Mbps and 20 Mbps upstream capabilities for $109.99 if purchased in a bundle with the RBOC's landline voice service. At this point, Qwest has not revealed how many customers in its service areas can get these advanced VDSL2 speeds, as rates will drop after surpassing a certain distance from the CO. In addition to Denver, Qwest has announced its enhanced VDSL2 service for its Tucson, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St. Paul markets.

Comcast also offers a 10 Mbps upstream tier for $99.95 per month throughout much of its Colorado footprint, and it said that its DOCSIS 3.0 service would be extended to the rest of the Denver metro area by October and to other communities before the end of this year. And for those customers that aren't ready for 50 Mbps, but want more than 10 Mbps, Comcast also offers its "Ultra" tier with 22 Mbps downstream and 5 Mbps upstream for only $62.95.

Comcast's wideband DOCSIS 3.0 desires don't end at 50 Mbps, however. While it has not intimated when it would bring the service to any other markets, Comcast has already debuted [2] a 100 Mbps service for businesses in its Minneapolis/St. Paul market. Bundled with Microsoft's Communication Service (SharePoint and Outlook) and McAfee security software, Comcast's 100 Mbps service is being sold to area businesses for $369.95 per month.

Comcast, of course, is not the only cable MSO set on beating out Qwest at the high speed broadband game. Cox, likewise, launched [3] a 50 Mbps service in its Tucson area in August with 50 Mbps downstream and an unlimited upstream of 5 Mbps for $89.99 a month.

For more:
- Cable Digital News has this article [4]

Related articles
Qwest ups its FTTN upload/download capabilities [1]
Comcast puts the pedal to 100 Mbps metal in Minneapolis [2]
Cox launches DOCSIS 3.0 attack on Qwest [3]