Comcast Surpasses 5 Million Xfinity Mobile Lines After Wireless Service's Biggest Quarter Ever

Xfinity Mobile
(Image credit: Comcast)

Amid a tough overall third quarter for Comcast, the cable operator did have some good news to report in regard to its no-longer-so-fledging wireless service. 

Xfinity Mobile, which will celebrate its six-year anniversary in January, enjoyed an all-time best 337,000 line additions in Q3, upping total lines of service past the 5 million mark. 

Comcast recently introduced a $30-per-line monthly price for unlimited service on plans involving two or more users, undercutting wireless incumbents AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile. 

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Xfinity Mobile relies heavily on Wi-Fi connectivity to Comcast’s wireline network, with its primary cellular access coming via an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) wholesale agreement the cable operator has long had with Verizon Communications. Operational costs are shared via a partnership with Charter Communiations and its Spectrum Mobile service

The performance of the service has been good enough for Comcast to recently tout its Ookla speed rankings. Likewise, Comcast issued a similar press release earlier this year to tub thump its outcome in an American Customer Satisfaction Index survey of wireless users. 

The service remains confined to the Comcast footprint, however. 

“We set out to build a different kind of mobile service designed for the way people use their phones today — with the internet at the center of the experience,” Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson said in a statement. “Our goal is simple — keep our Internet customers happy with a mobile service that offers incredible value; attract new customers who want a great connectivity experience inside and away from the home; and build a profitable business that has a long runway for growth.” ▪️

(Image credit: Comcast)
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!