Comcast Web speeds up by 2010
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - June 5, 2008 The nation's second-largest Internet service provider - and
biggest cable TV operator - will deploy a technology capable of
delivering up to 100 megabits per second and faster in 20 percent
of its markets by the end of 2008, Comcast senior vice president of
investor relations Marlene Dooner said at the Merrill Lynch U.S.
Media Conference in London.
Dooner said the speed was "very competitive" with Verizon's
fiber-optic Internet service, which had about 1.8 million
subscribers in the first quarter.
Among cable operators, Comcast has been one of the most
aggressive in deploying a wideband technology called Docsis 3.0 to
fend off competitors as more users download videos over the
Internet.
Dooner also said Comcast expects to move the majority of its
analog television channels to digital in most markets by early
2010. The Philadelphia-based company had set a goal of reclaiming
analog bandwidth in 20 percent of its markets this year.
As competition increases, cable's triple-play package - of
video, Internet and phone service - is no longer exclusive because
phone and satellite TV companies are offering comparable bundles.
In response, Comcast has been aggressively courting
cost-conscious consumers, with its economy plan and packages that
bundle two services instead of three.
"We've responded. We're adjusting and we think it's working,"
Dooner said.
The economy did take a toll on advertising, with revenue down 5
percent in the first quarter after excluding this year's extra
broadcast week and a boost from political ads, Dooner said.
Softness was seen in automotive, real estate and retail
advertising and in ad sales in Florida, Michigan and California.
Comcast's ad revenue in 2007 topped $1.5 billion.
Shares of Comcast rose 9 cents to close at $22.72 Thursday.
