Xfinity

For other uses, see Xfinity (disambiguation).

Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
Xfinity
FormerlyComcast Cable (1981–2010)
Company typeDivision
IndustryTelecommunications
FoundedApril 2, 1981; 43 years ago (1981-04-02) (as Comcast Cable)
February 3, 2010; 14 years ago (2010-02-03) (as Xfinity)
Headquarters
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
,
U.S.
Area served
United States
Key people
Dave Brown (president & CEO)
Dana Strong (president, Consumer Services)
Matthew Strauss (EVP, Xfinity Services)
ProductsCable television, Mobile, Broadband internet, VoIP phone, Home security
RevenueIncrease US$$66.318 billion (2022)
Increase US$21.17 billion (2017)
Total assetsIncrease US$186.95 billion (2017)
Total equityIncrease US$69.45 billion (2017)
ParentComcast
Subsidiaries
Websitexfinity.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3][4]

Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications business segment and division of the Comcast Corporation. It is used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company. The brand was first introduced in 2010; prior to that, these services were marketed primarily under the Comcast name.

As of 2023 its CEO is Dave Watson, its chairman is Brian L. Roberts, and its CFO is Catherine Avgiris.[5][2] Xfinity went from US$23.7 billion in revenue in 2007[6] to $50.04 billion in 2016.[7]

Branding

Previous logos
Comcast logo from 1984 to 2000 before it was replaced with the crescent logo
Comcast logo from 2000 to 2013 as a corporate logo (and until February 2, 2010, for their cable unit)
Xfinity logo from February 3, 2010, to October 31, 2017
Xfinity logo from November 1, 2017, to August 26, 2021

In February 2010, Comcast began to re-brand its consumer triple play service offerings under the name Xfinity; Comcast Digital Cable was renamed "Xfinity TV", Comcast Digital Voice became "Xfinity Voice", and Comcast High-Speed Internet became "Xfinity Internet". The re-branding and an associated promotional campaign were scheduled to coincide with the 2010 Winter Olympics.[8][9]

The rebranding was characterized by the media as an effort to sidestep the negativity of the Comcast brand.[10][11][12] Time considered Xfinity to be among the worst corporate renamings of all time, asking "Will the name change work? Probably not, but at least it'll sound a bit edgier when you're put on hold...with Xfinity."[13]

Internet service

Comcast Internet availability by state

Comcast availability map by ZIP Code
State Overall potential coverage area[14]
District of Columbia 97.9%
Massachusetts 85.4%
Utah 78.5%
Illinois 75.9%
Colorado 75.9%
Washington 73.1%
Pennsylvania 69.1%
Maryland 69%
New Hampshire 68.8%
New Jersey —
Michigan 60.3%
Missouri —
Oregon 57.9%
Indiana 57.7%
Georgia 56.4%
Tennessee 56.0%
New Mexico 55.4%
Florida 52.7%
Connecticut 50.6%
Minnesota 45.6%
Virginia 41.5%
Mississippi 31.9%
California 31.8%
Delaware —

Comcast is the largest provider of cable internet access in the United States, servicing 40% of the market in 2011.[15] As of July 26, 2018, Comcast has 26.5 million high-speed internet customers.[16]

Comcast began offering internet services in late 1996, when it helped found the @Home Network, which sold internet service through Comcast's cable lines. The agreement continued after @Home's merger with Excite.[17] When the combined company Excite@Home filed for bankruptcy in 2002, Comcast moved their roughly 950,000 internet customers completely onto their own network.[18]

Along with the price of internet subscriptions, Comcast charges users an additional $14.00/month to rent a cable modem.[19] This fee has been seen by some as unfair,[19][20] but is waived for customers who buy their own modems.[21] Comcast charges $20 for internet installation,[22] but the fee is waived for customers who opt to install themselves.[23]

In 2011, Comcast launched its "Internet Essentials" program, which offers low-cost internet service to families with children who qualify for free or reduced price school lunches. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required this budget service as a condition for allowing Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in January 2011.[24] Of an estimated 2.60 million households eligible for the program, about 220,000 households participate in the program as of June 2013.[25][26][27] A similar program is available from other internet providers through the non-profit Connect2compete.org.[27][28] Comcast has stated that the program will accept new customers for a total of three years.[24] In March 2014, as he met with FCC concerning the Time Warner Cable merger, Comcast vice president David Cohen told reporters that the internet essentials program will be extended indefinitely.[29]

At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, Comcast unveiled a new software platform for its Arris 1682G and Cisco 3941T/3939 modems, which would offer a redesigned configuration interface, support for remote setup and management via an Xfinity mobile app, and enabling integration of supported smart home devices with other Xfinity platforms such as Xfinity TV. The new platform launched under the brand xFi in May 2017. Comcast also unveiled the xFi Advanced Gateway, a new router designed to facilitate faster Wi-Fi speeds, including support for 802.11ac Wave 2, as well as internal support for Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread, and Zigbee for finer integration with Internet of things devices, and support for an accompanying line of Wi-Fi extenders (manufactured by Plume).[30][31][32][33]

In December 2022, Comcast announced that it had trialed symmetric, 10-gigabit service using DOCSIS 4.0; this service was deployed for selected Gigabit Pro fiber business customers in June 2023.[34][35]

Xfinity WiFi

Comcast operates a network of public Wi-Fi hotspots for Xfinity internet subscribers known as Xfinity WiFi, which consists of a mixture of hotspots installed in public locations and businesses, and those generated by supported Xfinity home gateways on an opt-out basis. Users on the "Performance" tier or higher receive unlimited usage of these hotspots after signing in with their Xfinity Account. By default, all dual-band Xfinity home gateways operate both a private network, and a public network with the SSID "xfinitywifi". To conserve bandwidth, these hotspots are capped at 5 simultaneous users. Customers can opt out of providing Xfinity WiFi through either the Comcast website, or by installing a third-party router.[36][37]

Comcast has received criticism for this practice, with critics arguing that the company was abusing customer resources (including bandwidth and electricity) to provide services for other customers, as well as concerns regarding security, and liability for actions performed by users while connected to these home hotspots; in 2014, a proposed class action lawsuit was filed in California, citing violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and similar state laws for these reasons. Comcast defended the service by stating that the public Wi-Fi is firewalled from devices connected to the in-home network, was designed to have minimal bandwidth impact to "support robust usage", and that customers would not be liable for the actions of other users, as abusers can be traced by means of the Xfinity account they used to sign into the network.[38][39] The lawsuit was taken to arbitration.[40]

In the wake of Hurricane Irma, all Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Florida were opened to non-Comcast subscribers.[41]

Data cap

Initially, Comcast had a policy of terminating broadband customers who use "excessive bandwidth", a term the company refused to define in its terms of service, which once said only that a customer's use should not "represent (in the sole judgment of Comcast) an overly large burden on the network".[42] Company responses to press inquiries suggested a limit of several hundred gigabytes per month.[43][44] In September 2007, Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas said the company defined "excessive use" as the equivalent of 30,000 songs, 250,000 pictures or 13 million emails in a month.[45]

Comcast introduced a 250 GB monthly bandwidth cap to its broadband service on October 1, 2008,[46] combining both upload and download towards the monthly limit. If a user exceeded the cap three times within six months, the customer's residential services may have been terminated for one year.[47] A spokesperson stated that this policy had been in place for some time, but was the first time Comcast has announced a specific usage limit.[48]

As the cap provoked a strongly negative reaction from some,[49] Comcast decided to modify its policy in 2012. Under the new system, the cap was replaced with a data threshold and increased to 300GB in some markets, and consumers who exceed this threshold are charged $10 for every 50 GB above the limit.[50][51][52] Customers could purchase a $30 add-on for "unlimited" data.[53] In a leaked memo, Comcast employees were instructed to state that the policy is for "Fairness and providing a more flexible policy to our customers", and not for controlling network congestion.[52]

On April 27, 2016, Comcast announced that it would raise its data threshold in trial markets to 1 TB by June 2016; the company stated that "more than 99 percent of our customers do not come close to using a terabyte." The decision to raise the cap came following implication of increased scrutiny surrounding them by the FCC: in its approval of Charter Communications' purchase of Time Warner Cable, the Commission stipulated that Charter must not implement caps. As previously, a $10 overage fee is charged for every 50 GB above the limit, and customers can purchase an add-on for "unlimited" data, but its price was increased to $50.[53] In October 2016, Comcast announced that bandwidth thresholds would be implemented in the majority of its markets (outside of New York and the northeast) beginning November 1, 2016.[54] The data usage plan does not currently apply to the Gigabit Pro tier of service, Business Internet customers, customers on Bulk Internet agreements, and customers with Prepaid Internet.[55]

On November 23, 2020, Comcast announced a new 1.2TB data cap will be implemented for all of the remaining areas in the northeast by March 2021.[56] However, it was postponed due to pressure from the Pennsylvanian attorney general due to concerns on how it would impact customers, especially for those working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.[57]

Network management and peering

In September 2007, a rumor emerged among tech blogs that Comcast was throttling or even blocking internet traffic transmitted via the BitTorrent protocol.[58] Comcast vehemently denied the accusations of blocking traffic, stating that "Comcast does not, has not, and will not block any Web sites or online applications, including peer-to-peer services", and that "We engage in reasonable network management".[59] After more widespread confirmation that Comcast was throttling BitTorrent traffic,[60] Comcast said it occasionally delayed BitTorrent traffic in order to speed up other kinds of data, but declined to go into specifics.[61] Following the announcement of an official investigation by the FCC,[62] Comcast voluntarily ended the traffic discrimination.[63] The FCC investigation concluded that Comcast's throttling policies were illegal.[64] However, after filing a lawsuit in September 2008,[65] Comcast overturned the illegality of its network management in 2010, as the court ruled that the FCC lacked the authority to enforce net neutrality under the FCC's then current regulatory policy. The court suggested instead of its current framework, the FCC move to a common carrier structure to justify its enforcement.[66] As of February 2014, the FCC has announced a new justification,[67] but avoided the more extensive regulation required by the common carrier framework.[68]

In 2010, Netflix signed an agreement with Level 3 Communications to carry its data. Shortly after, Level 3 entered a heated dispute concerning whether Level 3 would have to pay Comcast to bridge their respective networks, in an agreement known as peering.[69] The disagreement continued as Netflix's current carrier, Cogent Communications, explicitly placed blame for Netflix bottlenecks on Comcast and several other ISPs.[70] In February 2014, after rumors surfaced that Comcast and Netflix had reached an unspecified agreement,[71] the companies confirmed that Netflix was paying Comcast to connect to its network.[72] The details of the agreement are not public,[73] and speculation disagrees about whether the agreement is a precedent against net neutrality, or a continuation of normal peering agreements.[74]

Cable telephony

Xfinity Voice (formerly Comcast Digital Voice) is a Voice Over IP cable telephony service that was launched in 2005 in some markets,[75] and to all of Comcast's markets in 2006. Comcast's older service, Comcast Digital Phone, continued to offer service for a brief period, until Comcast shut it down around in late 2007.[76] In 2009, after completing transition from their old service, Comcast had 7.6 million voice customers.[77] As of the end of 2013, Comcast Digital Voice had reached 10.7 million subscribers.[78]

At the start of 2012, Comcast stood as the United States' third-largest residential line provider,[79] supplying 9.34 million residential lines.[79]

Xfinity Voice allows communication over the internet using VoIP, but uses a private network instead of a public IP address, which allows Comcast to prioritize voice data during heavy traffic. In technical terms, on Comcast's Hybrid Fiber Coaxial network, calls are placed into individual Unsolicited Grant Service flows, based on DOCSIS 1.1 Quality of service standards. For the customer, this has the benefit of preventing network congestion from interfering with call quality. Other, non-Comcast VoIP services on Comcast's network must use the lower priority public IP addresses. This separation of traffic into separate flows, or Smart pipe, has been criticised as a violation of net neutrality, whereby all data traffic should be treated equally—dumb pipe.[80] The practice was questioned by the FCC in 2009.[81] In their response, Comcast stated that services that use telecommunications are not necessarily telecommunications services, and said that the FCC's designation of Comcast Digital Voice as an information service exempted it from telecommunications service regulations on traditional landline. Comcast also said that because Comcast Voice was a separate service, it was unfair to directly compare the data for Comcast Voice with the data for other VoIP services.[82][83]

Because telephone services over VoIP are not automatically tied to a physical address, Xfinity Voice utilizes E911 to help 911 emergency service operators to automatically locate the source of the 911 call.[84] Voice calls are delivered as a digital stream over the Comcast network, signal is converted to analog plain old telephone service lines at the cable modem, which outputs on standard physical analog style RJ-11 ports.

This is separate from their former offering of "Comcast Digital Phone" which is not VoIP. The Digital Phone terms of service is still up which clearly defined this service as Circuit Switched.

Cable television

Comcast's cable television customers peaked in 2007, with about 24.8 million customers.[85] Comcast had lost customers every year since. However, the first quarterly gain in customers since their peak occurred in the fourth quarter of 2013.[86] As of the end of 2013, Comcast had a total of 21.7 million cable customers.[87] The average cost of Comcast's Digital Basic cable subscription had increased 72% from 2003 to 2012.[88] In the fourth quarter of 2015, Comcast got 89,000 new video subscribers. This was their highest gain since 2007.[89]

Comcast also charges a Regulatory Recovery Fee of varying size(s) with their Digital Basic cable subscription in order to "recover additional costs associated with governmental programs".[90] Since January 2014, Comcast has also charged a Broadcast TV Fee to "defray the rising costs of retransmitting broadcast television signals(sic)."[91]

In May 2012, Comcast softlaunched X1 (codenamed "Xcalibur"), a new hardware and software platform for its television services in Boston. It features wider support for internet content and video streaming apps, and a remote control with voice recognition input. X1 was scheduled for nationwide availability by the end of 2013.[92][93][94][95] Comcast has licensed the X1 platform as middleware to other providers, including Cox Cable (as "Cox Contour"),[96] and Canadian providers Shaw (as "Shaw BlueCurve TV"),[97] Rogers (as "Rogers Ignite TV")[98] and Vidéotron (as "Helix").[99] Rogers (which had meanwhile acquired Shaw) announced a deeper technology partnership with Comcast in April 2024, and began rebranding its cable TV and internet products as "Rogers Xfinity" later that year.[100]

In 2019, Comcast launched Xfinity Flex, an add-on for Xfinity Internet that offers subscribers a digital media player based on the X1 platform with access to over-the-top media services. The service is marketed as an alternative to the full Xfinity TV service for cord-cutters[101][102] In October 2021, Comcast launched XClass TV, a line of Hisense-manufactured smart TVs based on X1, and sold exclusively through Walmart; they marked the first X1-based product to be sold directly at retail to consumers.[103][104] In 2022, both Xfinity Flex and XClass TV were brought under Comcast's Xumo joint venture with Charter Communications, and rebranded as Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV respectively.[105][106]

Retransmission fees

Beginning in the mid-2000s, the prices of retransmission fees, requirements for cable companies to retransmit television broadcasters content, have become more expensive.[107] These fees (and the arguments over them between broadcasters and distributors) caused blackouts of certain (influential) television programming. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission then reviewed its rules for broadcasters and distributors to make any possible changes to them in response to the high-profile blackouts.[108] Comcast has had ten year agreements with CBS[109] Disney,[110] and Fox Broadcasting Company[111] for distributing and reproducing content. The financial details of the deals are not known.

Due to retransmission fees becoming more expensive every year, broadcasters pay more expensive substantial fees for retransmitting broadcast television. Comcast instated Broadcast TV Fee (as a part of the Digital Basic cable subscription) to gain lost profit from paying more expensive fees to retransmit programming content. Comcast's subsidiary, NBCUniversal, was one of several broadcasters party to American Broadcasting Cos. v. Aereo, Inc., over the question of whether Aereo is a retransmitter (which would require it to pay retransmission fees).[112] The case was decided on June 25, 2014, in favor of the broadcasters in a 6–3 decision.[113]

Home security and automation

Comcast has a home security and home automation service known as Xfinity Home in some of its service areas. The service has a burglar and fire alarm, surveillance cameras, and wireless motion sensors put on doorways and windows to detect when said doorway or window was opened, and to detect when someone was in a house when it was vacant, However, Xfinity Home had[when?] a vulnerability that when exploited, falsely reported that all was well. The wireless motion sensors Xfinity Home used could also be easily jammed, and thus disabled, by radio frequencies.[114]

Xfinity Mobile

Xfinity Mobile
IndustryTelecommunications
FoundedApril 6, 2017
Key people
Greg Butz (President)
Websitewww.xfinity.com/mobile/

On April 6, 2017, Comcast launched Xfinity Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on the Verizon mobile network.[115]

Xfinity Mobile provides prepaid (with users able to purchase data in 1 GB bundles) and monthly unlimited plans, with the latter throttled after 20 GB of use. The service is sold exclusively to Comcast internet subscribers, and includes access to Xfinity WiFi.[116][115]

Analysts perceived Xfinity Mobile as being a response to AT&T's acquisition of DirecTV, which added the national satellite provider alongside its existing wireline and wireless services, and an increased push towards mobile television.[117] In the third quarter of 2018, Xfinity Mobile surpassed 1 million subscribers.[118] On May 18, 2020, Xfinity Mobile announced plans with 5G data.[119]

Xfinity 3D

Comcast ran a 3DTV channel known as Xfinity 3D from February 20, 2011[120] until December 16, 2014, on Xfinity cable systems.[120] The channel mainly featured NBC Sports and Universal Pictures content in the format, along with content from other studios and demonstration films in the 3D format.

Comcast Business

Main article: Comcast Business

In addition to residential consumers, Comcast also serves businesses as customers, targeting small businesses with fewer than 20 employees and mid-sized businesses of 20–500 employees.[121] In 2009, Minneapolis–Saint Paul became the first city in which Comcast Business Class offered 100 Mbit/s Internet service, which includes Microsoft Communication Services.[122] Comcast Business Class Internet service does not have a bandwidth usage cap.[123][124]

Comcast Business services used to be sold exclusively through direct sales employees. In March 2011, Comcast created an indirect sales channel called the Solution Provider Program, a comprehensive indirect channel program that enables telecommunications consultants and system integrators to sell Comcast's services such as Business Class Internet, Voice, and high-capacity Ethernet services to small and mid-market businesses. The program offers recurring commissions for sales partners based on monthly revenue, and Comcast will provide, install, manage and bill for these services. For the initial launch of the Solutions Provider Program, Comcast enlisted three national master representatives—Telarus, based in Salt Lake City, Utah; Intelisys, based in Petaluma, California; and Telecom Brokerage Inc (TBI), based in Chicago. Sub-agent sales partners must work with one of these three partners in the early stages of the program.[125]

NASCAR sponsorship

Xfinity currently sponsors the NASCAR Xfinity Series and is a premier sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series. They sponsored NASCAR Cup Series driver Carl Edwards in 2016 at Richmond Raceway. Edwards won the race with a bump and run on teammate Kyle Busch. They also have sponsored both NASCAR Cup Series drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace on 23XI Racing promoting Xfinity Mobile and Xfinity 10G, and since 2020, has sponsored the Xfinity 500.

Controversies

Xfinity and its parent company, Comcast, were sued in August 2016 in King County Superior Court by the State of Washington (AG Ferguson, Washington's Attorney General) for 100 million dollars[126] over claims that Comcast violated the state's Consumer Protection Act 445,000 times over its Service Protection Plan[127] by overly charging for call service fees, knowingly using improper credit screening practices, and by lying about the costs of its Service Protection Plan to 49,660 customers on support calls.[128] The amount that the customers unknowingly paid for the plan from 2011 to 2015 was 71 million dollars. However, when asked for recorded customer service calls discussing the Service Protection Plan, Comcast said that it was "too burdensome". Eventually it gave 4,500 samples of the requested calls, but was accused of deleting many other calls by Washington. In response, Comcast said that it was "not under any obligation to preserve them" and that it deleted customer service calls routinely. It accused Washington of only "listening to 150 calls when we gave 4,500 of them",[129] and said that "customers receive an email confirmation when they sign up for the protection plan". The lawsuit lasted until June 2019, when a King County court judge, Judge Timothy Bradshaw, ruled in favor of Washington State and against Comcast, ordering Comcast to pay 9.1 million dollars in penalties in addition to providing restitution to customers within 60 days.[130]

Xfinity and its parent company Comcast were sued through putative class action on June 19, 2018, by Illinois customer Elizabeth O' Neill, over accusations of opening Xfinity Mobile accounts for customers without their consent, and failing to notify customers when the same accounts were infiltrated without their authorization to buy new cell phones from Comcast's website.[131] [non-primary source needed]They had done this by using information from the customer's already established internet and cable accounts. The case was ruled to be solved in arbitration in accordance with the subscriber agreement she had agreed to.[132]

In 2023, Comcast began to market all Xfinity broadband services as "the Xfinity 10G Network", in relation to its recent introduction of 10-gigabit fiber service for business customers.[35][133] In 2024, the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ruled that Comcast's marketing of its broadband service as the "Xfinity 10G Network" was misleading, as "10G" could be insinuated as referring to 10 gigabit service. This service is not available to all households as it requires installation of a fiber optic local loop, as DOCSIS isn't capable of 10 gigabit end-user speeds.[133] In January 2024, Comcast agreed to stop using the "Xfinity 10G Network" branding in this manner.[134]

Data breach

On December 20, 2023 it was revealed that an Xfinity data breach had exposed the personal data of 35.8 million people, including usernames, passwords, and answers to security questions, due to a vulnerability in the Citrix software used.[135]

References

  1. ^ "Comcast Cable Communications 2000 FORM 10-K". US Securities and Exchange Commission. March 16, 2001. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Comcast Names Dave Watson CEO of Cable, Neil Smit Assumes Vice Chairman Role". March 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "Comcast Hires Dana Strong as President, Consumer Services". January 26, 2018.
  4. ^ "Comcast Corp. 2017 Annual Report".
  5. ^ "Company Overview of Comcast Cable Communications, LLC". Bloomberg L.P. February 28, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "Comcast Holds 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders". Comcast. May 23, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  7. ^ "Comcast Reports 4th Quarter and Year End 2016 Results".
  8. ^ Bray, Hiawatha (February 13, 2010). "Comcast enters rebranding territory". The Boston Globe.
  9. ^ Fernandez, Bob (February 3, 2010). "Comcast unveils new brand name and logo". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  10. ^ "Comcast seeks reputation change with Xfinity brand", Yinka Adegoke, Reuters, February 9, 2010. Reuters.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2011.
  11. ^ Comcast Xfinity Rebranding Largely Laughed At, DSLreports.com, February 8, 2010. Dslreports.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2011.
  12. ^ Gregory, Sean. (February 7, 2010) Comcast's New Name: Rated X?, Sean Gregory, Time Magazine, February 7, 2010. Time.com. Retrieved on July 8, 2011.
  13. ^ Suddath, Claire (February 8, 2010). "Top 10 Worst Corporate Name Changes". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  14. ^ "Comcast availability by state". HighSpeedInternet.com. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  15. ^ "3 MILLION ADDED BROADBAND FROM TOP CABLE AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES IN 2011". Leichtman Research Group. March 16, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  16. ^ "Comcast +3.6% as Internet subs spur healthy profit". July 26, 2018.
  17. ^ BLOOMBERG NEWS (March 30, 2000). "Comcast, Cox extend Excite@Home deal". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  18. ^ MATT RICHTEL (January 4, 2002). "TECHNOLOGY; Comcast Copes With Internet Problems". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  19. ^ a b Tim Wu (February 14, 2014). "The Real Problem with the Comcast Merger". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  20. ^ Matt Burns (September 16, 2009). "Comcast to (likely) fill its coffers by raising the cable modem rental fee". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  21. ^ Josh Smith (September 21, 2009). "Beat the Comcast cable modem price hikes -- buy your own". Daily Finance. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  22. ^ Drew Dixon (December 6, 2011). "Comcast to hike prices in communication packages, lower installation costs". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  23. ^ "Comcast Introduces New Triple Play Self-Install Kit". Business Wire. May 9, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  24. ^ a b David Murphy (August 7, 2011). "Comcast Launches Low-Cost Internet for Low-Income Families". PC Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  25. ^ "SECOND ANNUAL COMPLIANCE REPORT ON INTERNET ESSENTIALS(pp 10)" (PDF). Comcast. July 31, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  26. ^ Brad Tuttle (September 20, 2012). "Why Aren't More Families Signing Up for Cheap Internet Service?". Time. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  27. ^ a b Chozick, Amy (January 20, 2013). "Mixed Response to Comcast in Expanding Net Access". The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  28. ^ Homepage connect2compete.org accessed January 21, 2013
  29. ^ Todd Shields (March 4, 2014). "Comcast Pledges Low-Cost Web as It Meets on Time Warner". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  30. ^ "Comcast's xFi Advanced Gateway modem is now available nationwide". Engadget. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  31. ^ "Comcast is trying to get in on the mesh router hype". The Verge. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  32. ^ "Comcast launches Xfinity xFi, turning gateways into Wi-Fi systems". CNET. May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  33. ^ "Watch out, Wi-Fi systems! Comcast is transforming its Xfinity gateway to a smart digital home platform". CNET. January 4, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  34. ^ Vasani, Sheena (December 12, 2022). "Comcast's symmetrical multi-gigabit internet test is a preview of next year's '10G' rollout". The Verge. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  35. ^ a b Goovaerts, Diana (June 14, 2023). "Comcast debuts symmetrical 10-gig fiber broadband tier". www.fierce-network.com. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  36. ^ "Report: Comcast's public Xfinity WiFi program actually costs you money". ExtremeTech. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  37. ^ "To Xfinity WiFi we're all hotspots, but you don't have to be". PC World. July 2, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  38. ^ "Comcast XFINITY WiFi: Just say no". Computerworld. June 28, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  39. ^ "Comcast sued by customers for turning routers into public hotspots". Ars Technica. December 9, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  40. ^ "It's Totally Possible That Your Router Is Broadcasting Public Wi-Fi Right Now". Slate. January 28, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  41. ^ "Comcast opens its 137,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Florida for all to use for free". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  42. ^ Comcast, "Comcast High-Speed Internet Acceptable Use Policy". Comcast.net. Retrieved on July 8, 2011.
  43. ^ Carolyn Y. Johnson, "Not so fast, broadband providers tell big users", The Boston Globe
  44. ^ "Say Good Night, Bandwidth Hog", The New York Times
  45. ^ "Comcast Clarifies High Speed Extreme Use Policy, September 14, 2007". Retrieved December 1, 2007.
  46. ^ Comcast 250GB Cap Goes Live October 1. Broadbandreports.com (August 28, 2008). Retrieved on July 8, 2011.
  47. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions about Excessive Use". Comcast.net. October 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  48. ^ Chloe Albanesius (August 28, 2008). "Comcast to Cap Data Transfers at 250 GB in Oct". PC Magazine. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  49. ^ Peter Glaskowsky (September 3, 2008). "Comcast's usage cap: Is the sky really falling?". Cnet. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  50. ^ Ryan Singel (May 17, 2012). "Comcast Suspends Data Cap Temporarily, Will Test New Overage Fees". Wired. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  51. ^ Marguerite Reardon (May 17, 2012). "Comcast ditches 250GB data cap, tests tiered pricing". Cnet. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  52. ^ a b Dante D'Orazio (November 7, 2015). "Leaked Comcast memo reportedly admits data caps aren't about improving network performance". The Verge. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  53. ^ a b "Comcast is raising its monthly internet data cap to 1TB". The Verge. Vox Media. April 27, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  54. ^ "Most Comcast customers now have a 1TB home internet data threshold". The Verge. October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  55. ^ "XFINITY Data Usage Center - FAQ". Dataplan.xfinity.com. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  56. ^ Lyons, Kim (November 23, 2020). "Comcast to impose home internet data cap of 1.2TB in more than a dozen US states next year". The Verge.
  57. ^ Romm, Tom (February 3, 2021). "Comcast suspends Internet data limits, fees for Northeast customers". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  58. ^ Ernesto (August 17, 2007). "Comcast Throttles BitTorrent Traffic, Seeding Impossible". TorrentFreak. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  59. ^ Andy Patrizio (November 2, 2007). "Comcast Again Denies P2P Throttling". Internet News. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  60. ^ Peter Svensson (November 19, 2007). "Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic". NBC News. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  61. ^ BRAD STONE (October 22, 2007). "Comcast: We're Delaying, Not Blocking, BitTorrent Traffic". New York Times Bits. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  62. ^ Ryan Paul (January 9, 2008). "FCC to investigate Comcast BitTorrent blocking". ArsTechnica. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  63. ^ Julia Boorstin (March 27, 2008). "Comcast and BitTorrent: Enemies Become "Net-Neutral" Friends". CNBC. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  64. ^ Declan McCullagh (August 1, 2008). "FCC formally rules Comcast's throttling of BitTorrent was illegal". Cnet. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  65. ^ Comcast sues FCC over network management finding. Multichannel.com. Retrieved on February 9, 2013.
  66. ^ Declan McCullagh (April 6, 2010). "Court: FCC has no power to regulate Net neutrality". Cnet. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  67. ^ EDWARD WYATT (February 19, 2014). "F.C.C. Seeks a New Path on 'Net Neutrality' Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  68. ^ Adi Robertson (February 19, 2014). "The FCC has a plan to save net neutrality, but no one likes it". TheVerge. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  69. ^ Stacey Higginbotham (November 29, 2010). "Level 3, Comcast in a Cat Fight Over Online Video". Gigaom. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  70. ^ Ben Gilbert (February 21, 2014). "Netflix's internet provider claims Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner are causing streaming bottlenecks (update)". Endgadget. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  71. ^ Stacey Higginbotham (February 21, 2014). "Sources: Netflix and Comcast have reached a peering agreement". Gigaom. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  72. ^ Dawn C. Chmielewski (February 23, 2014). "Netflix to pay Comcast for smoother online video streaming". LA Times. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  73. ^ Sam Gustin (February 23, 2014). "Comcast's Traffic Pact With Netflix Is Shrouded in Secrecy". Time. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  74. ^ Joshua Brustein (February 24, 2014). "Netflix's Deal With Comcast Isn't About Net Neutrality—Except That It Is". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  75. ^ Ben Charny (January 10, 2005). "Comcast pushes VoIP to prime time". Cnet. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  76. ^ MARK PETERS (October 17, 2007). "Comcast Ends Older Phone Service". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  77. ^ "Comcast Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End 2009 Results". February 3, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  78. ^ "Comcast Reports 4th Quarter and Year End 2013 Results". Comcast. January 28, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  79. ^ a b Leichtman Research Group, "Research Notes," First Quarter 2012, pg. 5. The company first gained status as the USA's third largest phone company in 2009. See: Comcast Now Third Largest Phone Company, DSLreports.com, March 11, 2009.
  80. ^ Leslie Ellis (February 17, 2006). "Smart Pipes, Dumb Pipes and QoS". MultiChannel. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  81. ^ Stacey Higginbotham (January 19, 2009). "FCC Asks if Comcast Slows Rivals' VoIP Traffic". Gigaom. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  82. ^ Kathryn A. Zachem (January 30, 2009). "In the Matter of Formal Complaint of Free Press and Public Knowledge Against Comcast Corporation for Secretly Degrading Peer-to-Peer Applications, File No. EB-08-IH-1518" (PDF). Comcast. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  83. ^ Matthew Lasar (February 3, 2009). "Comcast defends itself against FCC's VoIP probe". ArsTechnica. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  84. ^ Comcast Corp. "Comcast Launches Comcast Digital Voice(R) Phone Service in Santa Barbara County". PR Newswire. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  85. ^ "Comcast Reports Fourth Quarter and Year End Results". Comcast. February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  86. ^ Bob Fernandez (January 9, 2014). "Comcast reverses trend, gains TV subscribers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  87. ^ "Comcast Reports 4th Quarter and Year End 2013 Results". Comcast. January 28, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  88. ^ Mike Rogoway (August 22, 2012). "Comcast moderates its annual cable TV rate hike, but the cost of Internet access is rising faster". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  89. ^ "Comcast shrugs off years of cord-cutting losses, adds 89K TV customers". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  90. ^ Phillip Dampier (July 10, 2012). "Comcast's Nationwide Rate Increase: Bill Padding "Regulatory Recovery" Fees Have Arrived". Stop The Cap. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  91. ^ Mike Farrell (November 22, 2013). "Comcast to Introduce $1.50 Broadcast TV Fee". MultiChannel. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  92. ^ "Comcast's X1 cable boxes now serve up YouTube videos alongside traditional TV". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  93. ^ "Comcast officially launches next-gen X1 DVR platform and iPhone remote app (update: video)". Engadget. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  94. ^ "Comcast's X1 availability widens, mass-deployment still planned by year's end". Engadget. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  95. ^ "Comcast's redesigned X1 voice remote can locate your cellphone". The Verge. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  96. ^ Baumgartner, Jeff (November 11, 2015). "Cox Inks National X1 Deal with Comcast". Multichannel News. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  97. ^ Jackson, Emily (January 11, 2017). "Shaw Communications Inc. launches Comcast's X1 TV platform to wrestle back market share from Telus". Financial Post. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  98. ^ Dobby, Christine (August 19, 2018). "Rogers launches long-delayed internet-TV service, Ignite TV, as telecom battle heats up". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  99. ^ Daniel Frankel (August 29, 2019). "Videotron Launches X1-Based Helix". Multichannel News. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  100. ^ Bennett, Brad (October 29, 2024). "Rogers rebrands Ignite TV to Xfinity". MobileSyrup. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  101. ^ Welch, Chris (March 21, 2019). "Comcast announces $5-per-month Flex streaming platform for cord cutters". The Verge. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  102. ^ Keck, Catie (December 9, 2021). "Comcast now sells Xfinity Flex users internet cable TV from YouTube". The Verge. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  103. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 19, 2021). "Comcast Launches XClass TV, Its First TV Sets in the U.S., Taking Streaming Platform Direct-to-Consumer". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  104. ^ Frankellast, Daniel (September 7, 2022). "Has Comcast's XClass TV Drive Stalled Nearly One Year After Launch?". NextTV. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  105. ^ Winslow, George (November 2, 2022). "Comcast, Charter Streaming Joint Venture Branded as 'Xumo'". TVTechnology. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  106. ^ Hayes, Dade (November 2, 2022). "Comcast And Charter Name Their Streaming Joint Venture Xumo, Set Related Rebrand Of Flex And XClass TV & Outline Plans For Timing Of Launch". Deadline. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  107. ^ Roger Yu (August 2, 2013). "Retransmission fee race poses questions for TV viewers". USA Today. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  108. ^ Katy Bachman (March 3, 2011). "FCC to Consider Forcing B'casters, Distributors to Play Nice". AdWeek. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  109. ^ BRIAN STELTER (August 2, 2010). "CBS and Comcast Reach a 10-Year Deal on Fees". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  110. ^ "Disney-Comcast Make 10-Year Xfinity Multi-Platform Deal (Breaking)". Reuters. January 4, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  111. ^ Damon Poeter (February 12, 2013). "Fox, Comcast Re-Up Xfinity Content Deal". PC Magazine. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  112. ^ Bob Fernandez (January 6, 2014). "Fight continues over cable retransmission fees". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  113. ^ American Broadcasting Companies v. Aereo, 573 U. S., (slip op.)
  114. ^ Longenecker, David (January 6, 2016). "Putting the Comcast vulnerability in context". CSO Online. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  115. ^ a b "Editor's Corner—Comcast Xfinity Mobile is a no-frills MVNO service primarily designed to prevent churn". FierceWireless. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  116. ^ "Comcast wants to be your new cellphone carrier. Here's everything you need to know". The Washington Post. April 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  117. ^ "Comcast plunges again into cell phone service. Can it overcome past failures?". Philly.com. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  118. ^ "Comcast Surpasses 1M Xfinity Mobile Lines". Light Reading. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  119. ^ Lyons, Kim (May 18, 2020). "Comcast is launching 5G plans for Xfinity Mobile customers". The Verge. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  120. ^ a b Comcast To Launch 24-Hour 'Xfinity 3D' Channel Multichannel News February 17, 2011
  121. ^ Comcast Speeds Up Business High-Speed-Data Offering, Glen Dickson, Broadcasting & Cable, April 29, 2008.
  122. ^ Comcast Launches 100 Mbps High-Speed Internet Service for Businesses in the Twin Cities, Business Wire press release, September 8, 2009.
  123. ^ "Comcast Business Class Overview". Business Class Cable News. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  124. ^ "Comcast Business Services Extends Availability of its Metro Ethernet Services through its Solutions Provider Program". Business Wire. August 24, 2011.
  125. ^ Henderson, Khali (March 14, 2011). "Comcast Launches Agent Program". Channel Partners. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  126. ^ Finley, Klint. "Comcast Is Facing a $100 Million Lawsuit Over Its Service Plan". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  127. ^ Havil, Dave (June 7, 2019). "AG Ferguson: Judge finds Comcast violated the Consumer Protection Act nearly half a million times • Newstalk KBKW". Newstalk KBKW. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  128. ^ "AG Ferguson: Judge finds Comcast violated the Consumer Protection Act nearly half a million times".
  129. ^ Sally Ho (December 22, 2017). "Washington expands lawsuit against Comcast, alleges illegal conduct". USA Today.
  130. ^ O'Sullivan, Joseph (June 6, 2019). "Comcast faces $9.1 million in penalties after it charged nearly 31,000 people for a plan without their knowledge". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  131. ^ "Class Action Complaint - Plaintiff v. COMCAST CORPORATION" (PDF). Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  132. ^ "Comcast Lawsuits | Examples of Class-Action and Small-Claims Cases Against Comcast". DoNotPay. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  133. ^ a b Brodkin, Jon (October 16, 2023). "Comcast resists call to stop its misleading "10G Network" claims". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  134. ^ Brodkin, Jon (January 31, 2024). "Comcast reluctantly agrees to stop its misleading "10G Network" claims". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  135. ^ Cerullo, Megan (December 20, 2023). "Xfinity hack affects nearly 36 million customers. Here's what to know". CBS News.