Some of the telecom industry’s most closely guarded secrets could finally be revealed Thursday, when Comcast hosts what it calls an “analyst event to discuss the details of its previously announced mobile initiative.”
The event and accompanying presentation will be webcast live on Comcast’s investor relations site starting at 9 a.m. EST.
Comcast confirmed plans to launch a wireless service combining the strengths of its vast Wi-Fi network and its MVNO deal with Verizon back in September. The launch has been slated for sometime later this year.
Since that announcement, company executives have been peppered with questions about their wireless plans during virtually every investor-related event, and they have always demurred on details.
RELATED: The top 5 execs leading cable (very quietly) into wireless
In fact, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts made his industry’s vow of wireless secrecy abundantly clear during his company’s fourth-quarter earnings call last last month, when he abruptly cut off analyst Craig Moffett’s question about Comcast’s upcoming wireless launch.
“I'm going to stop there and say stay tuned,” Roberts said. “We'll clarify things.”
Announcing Thursday’s event, Comcast said “senior members” of its leadership team would be appearing, but it didn’t say who. Presumably, however, Greg Butz, senior VP of Comcast Mobile, will be on hand.
RELATED: Comcast quietly taps the iPhone ahead of Xfinity Mobile launch
Last week, FierceWireless reported that Comcast is quietly partnering with Apple as it prepares to launch wireless service under the brand Xfinity Mobile.
The cable giant’s name has been added to behind-the-scenes—but publicly available—code that lists carrier bundles for the iPhone. The list of carrier bundles is used by iTunes and iPhones to determine whether the iPhone’s SIM is supported by a service provider with whom Apple has an agreement, then provisions the phone accordingly.
The iPhone’s latest list of carrier bundles includes “Verizon_Comcast_LTE_US,” and mentions the service “Xfinity Mobile.” A source pointed out the reference to FierceWireless, and a different source with knowledge of the matter confirmed that Comcast has indeed partnered with Apple ahead of the launch of Xfinity Mobile.