Verizon DSL Vs. Roadrunner 2010

In its desire to compete with cable giant Time Warner Cable and increase its market share, Verizon is offering first-time customers special deals on its FiOS service. As of June 2011, a new user could get six months of television, telephone and Internet for $65 per month, a $35 discount from Time Warner's similar Triple Play deal.

Verizon's FiOS service offers Internet speeds ranging from 15 megabits per second (Mbps) to 150 Mbps for serious users. Time Warner's Road Runner basic service starts at 10 Mbps and builds to 15 Mbps with the company's exclusive PowerBoost service. For additional speed, customers of both companies will pay additional fees.

Time Warner Cable's Road Runner high-speed Internet service has been around since 1995. It is available in more than half of the states in the United States and in more than 50 major cities as of June 2011. Verizon's FiOS is the company's latest offering and has been available for less than two years. Although it has expanded, availability is still limited. In much of New York City, availability varies not only from neighborhood to neighborhood, but from building to building.

Both Time Warner Cable and Verizon offer a number of bundled services that include combinations of phone, Internet and cable television. Because Verizon was originally a telecommunications company, it also offers the ability to bundle wireless services into the package. Time Warner Cable and Verizon offer services to individuals, small businesses and larger commercial entities.