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Credit: Comcast |
Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) has deployed its mobile Wi-Fi hotspot service, Xfinity Wi-Fi on Wheels.
Previewed in May at INTX in Boston, and put together in collaboration with Ericsson, the platform is based on a customized Ford T-350 van, equipped with six Ericsson Wi-Fi access points sitting atop a 40-foot mast.
The Wi-Fi has a 500-foot range and can support 3,000 users, potentially reaching speeds five times faster than cellular.
"Starting this summer, we're hitting the road to bring ultrafast Wi-Fi to the concerts, festivals and ballgames where people are gathering to enjoy the season's biggest events. So start the streaming, snapping and sharing," said Eric Schaefer, senior VP of wireless product management in internet for Comcast, in a company blog posting.
Schaefer said Comcast conducted a "practice run" of its new service recently at Philadelphia's Wizard World Comic Con (video is posted on the blog). The van also appeared at the New Haven Arts and Ideas Festival in June.
Its next stop is next week's Democratic National Convention.
Comcast, which recently confirmed the creation of a new mobile division, says it currently has around 14 million public Wi-Fi hotspots.
For more:
- read this Comcast blog post
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