Comcast's New Gateway to Lead Way to 1 Gig Internet Speeds, Smart Home Offering
LAS VEGAS -- Comcast is previewing at CES a whole-home networking solution that will be enabled automatically in first half 2017 for its 10 million existing internet customers with an Xfinity Wireless Gateway. That number is expected to grow to 15 million by year-end when its next-generation wireless gateway becomes available to customers, it announced.
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The Advanced Gateway, capable of delivering up to 9 Gbps over Wi-Fi, will be the device Comcast uses to make 1 Gbps Internet speeds available across its entire service area, said the company. The gateway supports voice, home monitoring and automation applications. Daniel Herscovici, general manager of Comcast’s Xfinity Home, last summer at a conference in San Francisco (see 1605240058) pushed for the home gateway that supplies broadband to customers as a way to remove “the friction” of having to shop for another device to be the hub for the smart home.
At the time, Herscovici spoke of redefining the smart home platform as "an end-to-end solution” that includes “curated devices,” certified services, professional installation and “one throat to choke, one phone number to call for help.” Consumers want a “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval that certifies a product works, which he said is what Comcast created in its Works with Xfinity Home program.
Comcast is demonstrating the whole-home networking solution in its CES booth (#7252), with the first version of its Advanced Gateway based on Intel’s Puma 7 SoC (system on chip). The new platform can be controlled via Web, mobile app and Comcast’s X1 voice remote.
Comcast focused on simple setup for the whole home solution and subscribers will set up access by scanning a QR code on the gateway with an app or by logging in to the web portal, said the service provider. After setting up a user name and password, subscribers can personalize the system by categorizing connected devices in the home, and new devices can be added anytime, it said.
Self-sufficiency is part of the plan. Users can test Wi-Fi signal strength, run health checks and “self-resolve” issues, said the provider. Customers can make rules and schedules for connected devices, such as a “bedtime mode” that blocks Wi-Fi connectivity to specific devices after a designated time. Another suggestion, it said: “Pause all device use during dinnertime.” TV integration allows users to see a list of all connected devices in use. On the security side, the gateway provides a “first line of defense” against phishing and malware, it said.