Is Comcast Now an Internet Company?

Comcast has been advertising ultra-fast Internet speeds for years, and with download speeds of up to 150mbps, it's no surprise Comcast signed up more than 400,000 Internet customers in the first quarter. This has contributed to an earnings increase of 10 percent.

Cable TV versus Internet Subscribers

The first quarter was the first time Comcast experienced a larger increase in individuals and families signing up for Internet than new cable TV subscribers. They now currently boast 22,369,000 Internet customers and 22,375,000 cable television subscribers. It's anticipated that Comcast will eventually have a larger Internet subscriber base than cable TV subscribers.

Information Super Highway

Individuals and families are increasingly choosing to get their entertainment and information from the Internet. TVs now have Internet connectivity so that people can view their favorite television shows and movies from the Internet, which allows them to avoid the majority of commercials and pause the shows when they have to step out of the room for a minute. They can also use their TV to connect to websites, including Netflix, HULU, Facebook, Crackle, CBS News and Youtube as well as many other websites and network television channels. This has contributed to Comcast's success, and it is the reason Comcast has more than 22 million high-speed Internet users.

High-Speed Internet Speeds Explained

The higher the Internet speed, the faster movies, videos and games will download. Most speeds range between 2.5Kpps to 150Mbps.

• 768Kbps – 1 hour 42 minutes
• 2.5Mbps – 38 minutes
• 8Mbps – 9 minutes
• 12Mpbs – 6 minutes
• 20Mbps – 4 minutes
• 30Mbps – 3 minutes
• 40Mbps – 2 minutes
• 50Mbps – 1.5 minutes
• 60+Mbps – Less than a minute

Internet Speed According to Lifestyle

Different people need different Internet speeds. An Internet speed of 768Kbps to 2.5 Mbps is great for a one or two computer home where the computer is only used for surfing the Internet and sending emails or viewing short videos.

Internet speeds between 6Mbps to 15Mbps work well for homes that have three to four computers or mobile devices. With these speeds, the users can regularly view movies and TV shows without buffering. They can hold video conferences, and more than one computer can use a high demand application.

Internet speeds between 15Mbps and 30Mpbs can handle three to four networked computers that are simultaneously downloading movies and music and participating in online gaming.

Internet speeds greater than 40Mpbs are great for individuals that work from home. They are able to handle multiple high demand applications, including video conferencing, viewing more than one webpage at a time and sharing large files across the network.

Internet speeds greater than 70Mpbs are great for home businesses with multiple networked computers and serious online gamers.

Growing High-Speed Internet

It is projected that high-speed Internet users will outpace cable TV subscribers in the near future. For this reason, Comcast is working on attracting new Internet subscribers and upgrading existing Internet subscribers to faster speeds. They are facilitating this process by offering discounts for new customers and bundling options. Comcast current offers Double and Triple-play packages that reduce the overall monthly cost. Double-play packages consist of cable TV plus high-speed Internet, and subscribers can typically enjoy faster Internet speeds at cheaper prices than simply subscribing to Internet alone.

The Triple-Play packages provide subscribers with discounted rates for TV, Internet and digital phone services. These prices are typically cheaper than purchasing each of the services separately through separate companies.

Throughout the year, Comcast hopes these packages combined with reliable service nets them several thousand new Internet customers each month. Their efforts so far this year have already earned them .79 cents per share, which is .04 cents more than they anticipated.