Comcast Installs 10,000th WiFi Hotspot in Springfield

Coverage grows as more consumers turn to WiFi mobile communication

Comcast today announced it has installed 10,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Springfield and Sangamon County – 1.2 million in Illinois and more than 15 million in locations around the nation – noting that more local consumers are turning to WiFi for their mobile communications needs and using the service more extensively.

Driven by a boom in the number of mobile devices and Xfinity and other apps and services that allow customers access to content on the go, the hotspots have become more and more popular: In last year alone, the number of WiFi sessions in the region increased by more than 45% and the average amount of data transmitted per session increased by more than 70%.

“Comcast has more than 50,000 miles of network crossing its Greater Chicago Region, which includes Springfield,” said John Crowley, Comcast’s regional senior vice president.  “The benefit of having such an extensive network is two-fold: It allows us to provide an extensive WiFi network in Springfield and deliver the same services to neighborhoods and communities across our footprint so our customers can stay connected at home and at their favorite places.”

Comcast has placed hotspots in or adjacent to locations ranging from restaurants, retail stores, salons and doctors’ offices to parks and universities, according to Crowley.  In Springfield, Comcast has placed Xfinity WiFi hotspots adjacent to the capitol, Illinois Supreme Court Library and Illinois State Library, as well as locations around downtown.  Customers can stream movies, TV shows and other content on their laptops, mobile phones and tablets via Xfinity WiFi when they’re on the go.

The network is available to Xfinity high-speed Internet customers for no additional charge.  Comcast offers non-customers two free one-hour sessions per month.

Customers can use the Xfinity WiFi app for Android and iOS devices to help them locate hotspots near them, or visit www.xfinity.com/WiFi. Customers can select “xfinitywifi” or “CableWiFi” from the list of available networks in their vicinity to access Xfinity WiFi hotspots.  Once customers login to either of these networks, they’ll be connected automatically the next time they’re in range.  For more information, call 1-800-XFINITY or visit www.xfinity.com/WiFi.

About Comcast

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

With nearly 7,000 local employees, Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region serves customers in central and northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.  “Like” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Facebook by visiting Comcast.  “Follow” Comcast’s Greater Chicago Region on Twitter at @ComcastILLINOIS.