Comcast 2013 Annual Report Download - page 18

Table of Contents
nominal or no fee, and Google recently launched high-
speed Internet and video services in a limited number of areas. Moreover,
wireless technology, such as 3G and 4G wireless broadband services and Wi
-Fi networks, may compete with our video and high-
speed Internet services, and our voice services are facing increased competition as a result of wireless and Internet-
based phone
services.
Video Services
We compete with a number of different sources that provide news, sports, information and entertainment programming to
consumers, including:
We also may compete with online digital distributors that offer online services and devices that enable Internet video streaming and
downloading of movies, television shows and other video programming.
In recent years, Congress has enacted legislation and the FCC has adopted regulatory policies intended to provide a favorable
operating environment for existing competitors and for potential new competitors to our cable services. The FCC adopted rules
favoring new investment by certain phone companies in networks capable of distributing video programming and rules allocating
and auctioning spectrum for new wireless services that may compete with our video service offerings. See “
Legislation and
Regulation” below for additional information.
Direct Broadcast Satellite Providers
According to recent government and industry reports, conventional medium-power and high-
power satellites provide video
programming to 34 million subscribers in the United States. DBS providers with high-
power satellites typically offer video services
substantially similar to our video services. Two companies, DIRECTV and DISH Network, provide service to substantially all of
these DBS subscribers. DBS providers also have marketing arrangements with certain phone companies in which the DBS
provider’s video services are sold together with the phone company’s high-speed Internet and phone services.
Phone Companies
Certain phone companies, in particular AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink, have built and are continuing to build wireline fiber-optic-
based networks that provide video and high-
speed Internet services in substantial portions of our service areas. These and other
phone companies also may market video services provided by DBS providers in certain areas where they provide only high-
speed
Internet and phone services.
Other Wireline Providers
Federal law prohibits franchising authorities from unreasonably denying requests for additional franchises, and it permits franchising
authorities to operate cable systems. In addition to phone companies, various other companies, including those that traditionally
have not provided cable services and have significant financial resources, have obtained cable franchises and provide competing
cable services. These and other cable
•
DBS providers that transmit satellite signals containing video programming and other information to
receiving dishes located on the customer’s premises
•
phone companies that have built and continue to build fiber-optic-
based networks that provide cable
services similar to ours, which now overlap a substantial portion of our service areas
•
other providers that build and operate wireline communications systems in the same communities that
we serve, including those operating as franchised cable operators
•
satellite master antenna television (“SMATV”)
systems that generally serve MDUs, office complexes and
residential developments
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Comcast 2013 Annual Report on Form 10
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