US cable firm Comcast Corp has ramped up its attempts to compete with the country’s biggest Wi-Fi providers, AT&T and Verizon Communications, reuters.com reports.
Earlier this week, the company announced that it has agreed deals with two Asian telecoms companies to provide them with access to its Wi-Fi points in America.
According to investing.com, the agreements with Taiwan Mobile and Japan-based KDDI will allow the firms’ subscribers to use Comcast’s hotspots when they visit the US, reducing their reliance on costly mobile data connections.
One industry analyst, New Street Research’s Jonathan Chaplin, believes that Comcast is in a good position to provide cheaper wireless access than its competitors, simply because of its cable background. He added: “This could be truly disruptive, with grave implications for new entrants and established wireless carriers alike.”
The merger, if approved, would be the latest in a string of attempts by Comcast to increase its Wi-Fi presence in the US. Last week the company said it is hoping to have eight million hotspots installed before the end of 2014, with 19 of the country’s 30 biggest cities covered.
This growth will also be helped by the impending acquisition of Time Warner Cable, which has 34,000 of its own connection points spread across the US. Comcast is currently waiting for the deal to be approved by the government’s regulatory committee.
