After only being introduced last May, Comcast's Xfinity Mobile has already racked up over 250,000 subscribers. This is reflected by the fact that the Philadelphia based company posted strong third-quarter earnings on October 1st, as it obtained a 5% growth in revenue in addition to adding nearly 150,000 new customers overall. Xfinity, which is a brand of Comcast, has always been a major American service provider in the internet, cable television, and telephone industries. In fact, Xfinity is the largest internet service provider in the entire United States. Around five months ago, the company announced that it would expand its services and bring wireless coverage to customers through what it calls Xfinity Mobile.
Basically, Xfinity Mobile provides subscribers with cellular data as well as the ability to freely connect to any of the 18 million Comcast WiFi hotspots nationwide; if an existing subscriber is in the proximity of a WiFi hotspot, he/she will automatically be connected to it, which saves mobile data and allows for faster speeds. Xfinity Mobile acts as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which means that it uses the infrastructure of other wireless carriers; specifically, it runs on Verizon's fast and extensive cellular network. There is also a wide range of plans offered by Xfinity Mobile. Current Comcast customers who are enrolled in select Xfinity plans can receive unlimited talk, text, and data for the price of $45/month. For those who do not want to buy an unlimited plan, the mobile carrier also offers 1 GB of data for $12/month. When it comes to device compatibility, Xfinity Mobile does not permit customers to bring in their own smartphone and has a relatively limited device inventory consisting of select Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy S Series Phones, and the LG X Charge budget smartphone. Earlier this week, the wireless carrier also mentioned that it will give away a $500 gift card to anyone that switches to Xfinity Mobile and signs up for X1 Triple Play plan.
As Comcast stated itself, gaining 250,000 subscribers for its new Xfinity Mobile service in just five months is a major accomplishment. However, the company still has a long way to go if it wants to directly compete with any of the four big mobile carriers of America, which consist of Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. With that said, if Xfinity Mobile manages to continue increasing its popularity, it may one day become a major player in one of the world's most competitive industries.