Comcast to debut 50Mbps Internet in Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta

Comcast says it will debut its new ultra-high-speed Internet service in the Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Fort Wayne, Ind. markets, according to the Associated Press.

The Philadelphia-based company says the next-generation Docsis 3.0, or Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification 3.0, technology will include some of the fastest speeds available today, including a tier with download speeds of up to 50 megabits per second. This “wideband” service will also enable the company to double speeds for most of its existing high-speed Internet customers at no additional cost.

The service is expected to debut this month in areas of Annapolis and Anne Arundel and Howard counties, with the remainder of the Baltimore region online in 2009. The service is already available in Minneapolis and St. Paul; the Boston metro area; parts of southern New Hampshire; the Philadelphia metro area; New Jersey; Seattle; Portland; Spokane, Wash.; and Eugene, Ore.

Which leaves the question: Can Wi-Fi go head-to-head with WiMax or other approaches to broadband access to the Internet, over the air?