Comcast gets with the times and beyond

Remember when the cable company was just that, focused on cable.

“Be assured, we have changed dramatically,” said Kalyn Hove, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast Midwest. “We’re not the company you remember. We’re building something new and bold and better right here in Minnesota and across the country.”

Comcast now has 17 Xfinity stores in the Twin Cities where customers can learn about everything from internet and video to mobile, voice and home security.

“We’re consistently investing in technology,” said Hove. “Just in the last three years in Minnesota alone, we’ve invested over $525 million upgrading and expanding our network because, let’s face it, broadband and internet are the backbone to everything we do.”

Hove cited the 2024 NFL Wild Card game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs, which drew 27 million viewers and became the most-streamed live event in U.S. history, as well as the largest internet usage in a single day. “The demands on the networks are far different than even five years ago, because everyone is looking to stream literally everything,” Hove added.  

Certainly, technology is key to the changes and upgrades at Comcast, but feedback has also driven the company’s evolution.

We’ve listened to our customers and said goodbye to data caps and contracts,” Hove explained. “We’re really focused on a simple, all-in internet plan with unlimited data. So, equipment is included and there’s a new 5-year price guarantee.”

Comcast estimates that by 2027, cybercrime will generate upwards of $15 trillion, with the average organization having about 2,000 threats every single week. That’s why the company also focuses on protection for Twin Cities families and businesses.

“We have a responsibility to do everything we can to mitigate that threat,” said Hove. “We also have to educate businesses and customers and ensure they have the right cybersecurity solutions in place.”

While AI is helping to drive the growth of cyberattacks, it is also being used as a tool to stop these criminals. For example, Comcast offers businesses technology solutions that deploy AI to track normal and abnormal behavior across the network. When something seems suspicious, it is flagged. “We live in Minnesota, squirrels chew wires, there can be water damage or a cyber threat,” Hove explained. “We work to mitigate these issues and keep people online. We’re using AI technology more and more in everything we do to create a better and more effective experience and address issues even before the customer notices it.”

In 2024, Comcast helped customers detect and fight more than 34 billion cyber events. Comcast offers cybersecurity for individuals through Xfinity xFi Advanced Security, which protects all devices on a home network, and for businesses through Comcast Business SecurityEdge™, a cloud-based solution that helps protect against threats like malware and phishing.

Creating an aggressive approach to cyberattacks is just one of the ways providers like Comcast are having to adapt to the changing broadband, wireless, video, and phone technologies, and what users in the Twin Cities want. Comcast is no longer just the local cable TV company we remember from back in the day. “It’s so important to us that people can connect where they’re at,” Hove added.

To learn more about solutions for your family, go to https://www.xfinity.com/overview.

Businesses can access Comcast solutions at: https://business.comcast.com/.