By Michelle Caffrey Philadelphia Business Journal
With the arrival of ultra-fast 5G networks looming on the horizon in recent years, executives at Comcast have remained cautious, saying they’re still evaluating its capabilities and, by extension, its potential to disrupt traditional broadband services.
Comcast’s wireless service is now dipping its toe into the 5G waters, saying it will carry the 5G-capable Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G and Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G when they’re released nationwide. How the 5G wave will affect Comcast’s broadband business, however, remains unclear.
The company first confirmed it will participate in the 5G market during last month’s earnings call, saying Xfinity Mobile will resell Verizon’s 5G service just as it resells capacity on Verizon’s LTE network via a mobile virtual network operator agreement.
“One of the great things about our existing relationship
Xfinity Mobile, offered only to Comcast customers, was rolled out in 2017 and has since amassed more than 2 million lines. Executives have said customers are drawn to the ability to have both unlimited and pay-by-the-gig lines under one family plan, although it’s not clear how 5G options will be priced moving forward.
“We continue to differentiate by delivering a better wireless experience for less money on the most popular devices – and we’re excited to be able to bring the Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G and S20 Ultra 5G to our customers, with plans to launch 5G data options soon so our customers can take full advantage of all these devices have to offer,” Billy Stephens, senior vice president of wireless devices for Xfinity Mobile, said in a statement.