Comcast preparing to one-up Verizon with 305 Mbps Internet package

Comcast is reportedly preparing to bolster their broadband Internet offering in an attempt to compete with high-speed rival Verizon Wireless. The cable company recently streamed a live event to employees that hinted at a faster service that would soon be available to customers that already have access to Verizon’s FiOS Internet package, according to reliable sources as reported byBroadband Reports.

Comcast’s boosted Xfinity Internet service would offer download speeds up to 305 Mbps which is conveniently just 5 Mbps more than Verizon’s fastest FiOS offering – certainly good PR for the cable company. There’s no information on pricing but we suspect it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of what Verizon charges if they want to be competitive, or somewhere around $200 per month.

It’s also unclear at this point when the service will be available or what the upstream speeds are. For what it’s worth, Verizon’s top tier package is rated at 65 Mbps upload. Broadband Reports notes that Comcast reached speeds between 75-100 Mbps during private testing last year.

Verizon announced speed increases to virtually all of their FiOS Internet packages in May but it was the top tier services that got the most attention. The company upgraded their fastest offering from 150/35 Mbps to 300/65 Mbps while their 50/20 Mbps plan was boosted to 150/65 Mbps.

Comcast’s current top Internet package is the Extreme 105 Xfinity, offering up 105 Mbps down to over 40 million homes across the country.

Verizon eyeing a potential Netflix buyout

Verizon Wireless has emerged as a potential suitor to take over ailing video streaming service Netflix. Shares in Netflix surged roughly $6 as news of the possible buyout reached investors during trading on Monday.

Less than a week ago, word leaked that Verizon has been in talks with movie studios and television networks regarding licensing content for an online streaming service of their own. At the time, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam noted that his company was interested in such a venture by admitting that Verizon considered putting in a bid for Hulu.com earlier this summer.

Verizon would stream video over Internet connections in markets where FIOS isn’t yet available. It is believed that if Verizon doesn’t buy Netflix, they could introduce their own video service with more than 3,000 titles at a price of $5 to $10 per month. In contrast, Netflix charges $8 monthly for access to over 30,000 programs.

Such a deal could be the saving grace for Netflix, a company that hasn’t had a favorable 2011. Trouble started in July when the online streaming site announced a restructuring of their DVD and streaming plans. At the time, it cost members $10 a month for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVD rentals by mail. The new plan split those services into two separate packages, resulting in a 60 percent increase if members chose to keep both services. Nearly amillion subscribers left the service over the incident.

Netflix later decided to split the business into two, renaming the DVD-by-mail department to Qwikster. CEO Reed Hastings called off the plans less than a month later.

Both Netflix and Verizon declined to comment on a possible buyout.