Comcast is using CES 2017 in Las Vegas this week to unveil new plans to extend advanced digital home options to more subscribers, which include advanced controls via web, mobile app, and voice for adding and organizing devices, better WiFi connectivity, and options for setting personal rules. The operator reports it is previewing the new, whole-home networking solution that is a cloud-based platform and will be included at no extra cost for customers with Comcast WiFi gateway devices.
Comcast says the features will automatically be enabled in the first half of 2017 for the approximately 10 million existing Xfinity internet subs who have a compatible Xfinity wireless gateway. It says that number is expected to grow to more than 15 million by the end of the year as its new advanced wireless gateway becomes available to customers. The service is reportedly capable of delivering up to 9 Gbps over WiFi within the home, supports voice, home monitoring/automation applications, and will be the device Comcast uses to make 1 Gbps internet speeds available across its entire service area.
Features include the ability to scan the QR code of the WiFi gateway with the app or log on to the web portal to set up a username and password. Then subs can reportedly start personalizing and categorizing all the connected devices in the house, and new devices can be added at any time.
When it comes to WiFi, Comcast is boasting compact, no-configuration WiFi extenders to deliver connectivity throughout the home. Users also can test WiFi signal strength, check the gateway and devices are positioned for the best connectivity, run task-based, WiFi health checks by device, and self-resolve issues, according to the operator.
Looking to further reduce the need for subs to call customer service for help, Comcast also says it will offer easy onboarding and monitoring. Users can reportedly personalize devices by owner or category and monitor how frequently and for how long each device and owner are using the in-home WiFi network via a dashboard. The platform’s secure cloud also allows for automatic home network onboarding for compatible devices, Comcast says.
For parents hoping to get a better grasp on their kids’ screen time, Comcast will offer “Scheduler,” “Bedtime Mode,” and “Instant Pause.” Users can make customized time-based rules and schedules for access and block specific devices after a certain time. If subs are in the mood for a device-free family dinner, there’ll be a pause-all device function.
Comcast also is furthering its dive into voice control with extended voice and TV integration. As an example, customers can say, “Who is on the network?” into the X1 remote, and a list of all connected devices in the house will display on the TV screen.
Additionally, the operator is dipping its toe into the issues surrounding security and the Internet of Things (IoT) by offering “a first line of defense against phishing and malware by setting up automatic protections for customers and their family.”
“Digital Home connectivity today should be as intuitive and dynamic as the devices and experiences it powers,” Chris Satchell, EVP and chief product officer at Comcast, observes. “People want to connect and control the products and devices in their home, quickly and easily. By creating this new home solution and offering it to millions of people as a part of their existing internet subscription, our combination of speed, personalized controls, features, and devices has the potential to make the Internet of Things and the digital home more of a reality than ever.”
For those of you reading this from CES 2017 in Las Vegas, you can check out Comcast’s demo of this whole-home networking solution at the Intel booth. The first version of Comcast’s new advanced wireless gateway is based on the Intel Puma 7 SoC.