Montgomery County, Maryland and Verizon have settled their lawsuit by reaching a tentative 15-year agreement that would allow the telecom giant to provide its cable television service to county residents:

Verizon is a step closer to being able to offer cable television service in Montgomery county.

Verizon sued the county in June claiming its cable franchise system violates antitrust law as well as the First Amendment by allowing Comcast to have a virtual lock on the market.

Montgomery County said the suit was without merit but has now reached an agreement on a franchise that will authorize Verizon to offer its fiber-powered FiOS TV to county residents.

"FiOS TV will deliver more channels, superior quality and better value than Comcast's service in Montgomery County," said Bill Roberts, president of Verizon Maryland, in a statement.

The 15-year deal still has to be approved by the Montgomery County Council.

We’ll be watching to see how the Montgomery County Council proceeds.