Comcast started the week with the announcement that its DOCSIS 3.0-enabled data service was deployed in its home state of Pennsylvania. The nation’s largest cable operator ends the workweek with the news that the service has also been rolled out in its Pittsburgh region, as well as in parts of West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.

“Wideband utilizes our existing fiber-optic network in neighborhoods across our footprint, and this is just the beginning,” said Linda Hossinger, senior vice president of Comcast’s Three Rivers Region.  “Combined with our fiber-optic network, wideband gives us the capability of meeting the needs of our customers for many years to come by offering even faster speeds in the future.”

Comcast’s new services are now available to residential homes and businesses in many areas of its Three Rivers Region, including: Pittsburgh, Green Tree, Carnegie, Castle Shannon, Washington, Waynesburg, Canonsburg, McDonald, South Fayette, Monongahela, Charleroi, Monessen, Belle Vernon, Donora, McKeesport, Duquesne, Wilkinsburg, Monroeville, Plum, Penn Hills, Murrysville, Irwin, Greensburg, Punxsutawney, Indiana, Blairsville, Ross Township, Franklin Park, Shaler, Fox Chapel, New Castle, Etna, Coraopolis, McKees Rocks, Moon, North Fayette, Aliquippa and Beaver Falls in Pennsylvania; Deep Creek, Md.; Wheeling and Fairmont, W.Va.; and Martins Ferry, East Liverpool and St . Clairsville in Ohio, among other areas.

The faster DOCSIS 3.0 speeds will be available in other portions of the Three Rivers Region later this year.

Comcast’s DOCSIS 3.0 tiers are Extreme 50 and Ultra. Extreme features download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upstream speeds of 10 Mbps for $139.95 per month with a subscription to Comcast’s video service. Ultra clocks in with 22 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up at a cost of $62.95 per month when paired with the company’s video service.

Business customers will also have access to the new wideband services. Customers can sign up for the Deluxe 50 Mbps/10 Mbps tier for $189.95 per month.

In addition to the new wideband tiers, Comcast said it will also increase speeds for its existing Performance tier customers, who will now benefit from doubled downstream and upstream speeds offering up to 12 Mbps and 2 Mbps, respectively.

Comcast’s stated goal is to have DOCSIS 3.0-enabled data services in 30 million homes and businesses by the end of the year. The number of homes represents 65 percent of Comcast’s footprint.

Comcast’s DOCSIS 3.0 speeds have already begun launching in major markets around the nation, including the Twin Cities, the Boston metropolitan region and parts of southern New Hampshire, the Philadelphia metropolitan area, parts of New Jersey, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Portland, Ore., and Seattle. Comcast said it will launch in additional markets in the weeks and months ahead.

Comcast used pre-DOCSIS 3.0 wideband modems from Cisco in its first launch of wideband services in the Twin Cities last year. Comcast is also working with Arris, Motorola and other DOCSIS 3.0 vendors.