Comcast is introducing its next-generation broadband gateway to offer faster internet speeds and more streaming capacity with less latency.
The cable TV giant said Monday within the next few months it will be adding its new xFi Advanced Gateway device, which will be the first Comcast device to offer WiFi 6 to extend the signals’ range, offer multi-gigabit speeds and let households use more connected devices. Comcast, the nation’s largest gigabit speed provider, becomes one of the first U.S. Internet Service Providers to offer a WiFi 6 Certified gateway.
“This next generation technology allows for more capacity for all of the smart home devices coming online today and in the future,” said Comcast spokeswoman Sara Jo Walker, who said the devices should be available for lease to residential Comcast customers in Chattanooga within the next month for a $14 monthly fee. “WiFi 6 technology also provides unprecedented WiFi signal range. As homes continue to add more and more smart devices, Comcast is a step ahead and prepared to provide optimal speeds and coverage, as well as advanced security.”
Comcast said a study by Strategy Analytics forecasts that 100 million more smart home devices will be added to home networks by 2023.
The xFi Advanced Gateway will be available to customers who subscribe to Xfinity Internet tiers of 300 Mbps or faster.
The new gateway delivers lower latency for cloud and online gaming, 4K video streaming, and VR and AR experiences, Comcast officials said.
“We designed the next-generation Advanced Gateway to be the fastest, smartest and most powerful WiFi device on the planet to continue to deliver on our promise of bringing our customers a great broadband experience,” said Kunle Ekundare, director of product and hardware management for Comcast. “The xFi Advanced Gateway is truly the best Internet product we’ve ever built, and we’re thrilled to be bringing our customers into the future with Wi-Fi 6.”
The new device includes four simultaneous dual-band antennas that support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, allowing gigabits of data to move, along with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port to support wired speeds greater than 1Gbps.
Comcast also said it be providing xFi Advanced Security at no additional cost to protect the connected devices used by 18 million of its broadband customers.