Comcast Cable said that it has forged an agreement with Liberty Global that will allow subscribers to access Wi-Fi networks of the other company in an international Wi-Fi access deal.
The agreement will provide subscribers of Xfinity Internet and Liberty Global internet with millions of additional Wi-Fi access points in several countries by next year.
Comcast currently has over three million Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots around the United States, while Liberty Global has over 2.5 million Wi-Fi home spots known as WifiSpots and Wi-Free in several European countries, including Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.
Each year, as many as 11 million people from the United States visit Europe and 12 million people form Europe visit the United States. The agreement between Comcast and Liberty Global will provide these tourists with a free alternate option to cellular data roaming.
According to Comcast Cable senior vice president of strategic initiatives Tom Nagel, the agreement with Liberty Global is just the first step of the company to bring global Wi-Fi connectivity to its subscribers.
Nagel adds that the company is looking forward to collaborating with Liberty Global on the agreement, seeing the team-up as an opportunity for Comcast to expand the company's Wi-Fi footprint and to continue to provide fast and safe Internet services to customers not only in the country but also traveling abroad in Europe.
Liberty Global chief technology officer and executive vice president Balan Nair also expressed the company's excitement to be joining forces with Comcast in fostering Wi-Fi connectivity worldwide. Nair also hopes that the agreement with Comcast will make other cable companies interested in joining Comcast and Liberty Global in such an agreement.
The two companies are looking to test the collaborative Wi-Fi service within the year, with the target of launching it full scale by next year.
The agreement between Comcast and Liberty Global is the first of its kind within the industry, highlighting the shared leadership of the two companies in the innovation and deployment of Wi-Fi services.
The two companies continue to add to their current Wi-Fi footprints, which would add even more connection centers to subscribers of both companies in coming years.
The agreement is made possible by the benefits of innovations made in Wi-Fi technology. Because Wi-Fi systems worldwide use the same devices and technology, users are able to access the networks without any compatibility issues.
Comcast Cable is the biggest video, high-speed Internet and telephone company for residential customers in the United States, while Liberty Global is the biggest international cable company, operating in 14 nations.
