“The concept would be that our very best customers.buy some sort of multi-package bundle from us”, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said during this week’s Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference in NY, according to a transcript.
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Comcast will market the wireless service inside its footprint, to existing and potential Comcast cable customers, as opposed to nationwide.
The X1 platform puts the Netflix app within a click’s reach of Comcast’s cable customers. Seeing as Project Fi uses T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular networks as well as open WiFi hotspots – those that aren’t Google as well. New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin said a cable company could “easily steer more than 75% of data traffic to Wi-Fi”. Not to mention they could offer discounts for their users to subscribe and bundle their wireless service with the cable, internet, home phone and home security products that they already offer.
X1 customers will be able to access live, on-demand, DVR, and Netflix programming from one place, making it easy to choose and switch between linear content, recordings or Netflix programming, according to Comcast. The same logic is driving AT&T as it has begun bundling its cellular service with content from DirecTV, the satellite TV company it acquired in 2015.
No reports yet on how much the price will be for wireless services. Eight million Comcast subscribers have voice remotes. “All network operators are going to be in the wireless business whether they like it or not”.
And he said the company increasingly sees itself as an innovation company at the intersection of technology and media that “brings you to the moments in life that matter the most”, from the Olympics to attending theme parks, seeing movies or other things.
Roberts’ comments come just two months after Comcast confirmed the creation of its Mobile Division and moved former EVP of sales and marketing Greg Butz to head the new unit.
“Reed Hastings and myself spent some time together, we’ve always had tremendous respect for each other”, Roberts said.
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Roberts said his company had grown more focused on enhancing its consumers’ experience, and putting subscribers’ needs first.
