Comcast has about 22 million Wi-Fi hotspots which are available  free of charge for its Comcast Business and Xfinity customers (including this author who has used their WiFi hotspots in Santa Clara, CA and Pacifica, CA).

Xfinity Communities serves about 250,000 properties from multi-dwelling units (MDUs) to single-family communities, assisted living residences, hospitals and college dormitories. Xfinity Communities has six special account managers to handle its top 40-50 largest property owners.  Some of the properties it serves are  spread out so the company is providing Wi-Fi not just to specific units but also in the lobbies, on the grounds and at the pool, etc.

Although Comcast has the technology to provide Wi-Fi to a whole building without wiring multiple individual units, it seems to prefer the more traditional model. “To serve individuals best you need some kind of wired technology,” said Mike Mancini, director of sales engineering for Xfinity Communities. “Every unit gets wired to make sure we can deliver the highest speeds possible,” he added.

Xfinity Communities can and does wire the dormitory building, but not every individual unit. “We do hook up entire buildings as well, and people don’t have gateways, they have an access point up on the wall. We can provide connectivity both ways, it really depends on the property. We’re very flexible,” Mancini said.

Xfinity Communities serves selected apartment buildings. With pre-installed xFi Gateways in every unit, residents get instant access to WiFi after moving in. They can sign up for Xfinity Internet upon arrival, lease the xFi Gateway, and get connected on the spot — all from the provider of the largest gig-speed network.

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Separately, Charter Communications this week announced the availability of its Advanced Wi-Fi for Spectrum Business customers across its 41-state footprint.  Charter’s Advanced Wi-Fi includes its Red Dot Design router, which can support up to 200 devices simultaneously. And it includes greater coverage with Spectrum Wi-Fi Pods, which are additional access points for extended Wi-Fi coverage and more consistent speed to all corners of the business.

“Small businesses rely on technology, specifically the Internet and WiFi, to compete in today’s marketplace,” said Dave Rodrian, Group Vice President, WiFi Products, for Charter. “Now, with the launch of Advanced WiFi throughout our footprint, we can offer small and medium-sized businesses faster and more secure WiFi connections, giving them additional control over their network so they can improve their efficiency and productivity.”

More information about Advanced WiFi and other Spectrum Business connectivity services is available here.

References:

https://www.xfinity.com/multifamily

https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/comcast-touts-its-xfinity-communities-wi-fi

https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/advanced-wifi-available-to-spectrum-business-customers