Comcast 2014 Annual Report Download - page 52

Table of Contents
We offer a variety of high-
speed Internet services with downstream speeds of up to 105 Mbps, and we also have introduced
downstream speeds of up to 505 Mbps in limited markets. These services also include our XFINITY online portal and mobile apps,
which provide access to email, contacts and calendars, as well as online security features. In addition, we are actively deploying
wireless gateways, which combine a customer
’
s wireless router, cable modem and voice adapter, to improve the performance of
multiple Internet-enabled devices used at the same time within the home, provide faster Internet speeds and create an in-home Wi-
Fi network. We are continuing to expand our network of outdoor, business and in-home Wi-Fi hotspots for most of our high-
speed
Internet customers to access our high-
speed Internet services inside and outside the home, and there are currently 8.3 million
hotspots accessible to most of our customers.
Our voice services provide local and long-distance calling and other related features.
We offer our cable services to small (up to 20 employees) and medium-sized (up to 500 employees) businesses (“
business
services”).
In addition to the features we provide to our residential customers, our services for business customers include an
interactive tool that allows customers to share, coordinate and store documents online, hosted voice services that use cloud
network servers, a business directory listing, and the added capacity for multiple phone lines. We also offer to our medium-
sized
business customers advanced voice services and Ethernet network services that connect multiple locations and provide higher
downstream speed options, and we provide cellular backhaul services to mobile network operators to help those customers
manage network bandwidth.
Customers are typically billed in advance on a monthly basis based on the services and features they receive and the type of
equipment they use. Residential cable services customers may generally discontinue service at any time, while business customers
may only discontinue service in accordance with the terms of their contracts, which typically have 2 to 5 year terms.
Our Cable Communications segment also sells advertising through our Spotlight business. As part of our distribution agreements
with cable networks, we generally receive an allocation of scheduled advertising time on cable networks that we sell to local,
regional and national advertisers.
The most significant operating cost for our Cable Communications segment is the programming expenses we incur to provide
content to our video customers. We anticipate that our programming expenses will continue to increase. We have and will continue
to attempt to maintain a consistent operating margin in our Cable Communications segment through rate adjustments, the sale of
additional cable services, including advanced services, and the continued growth of business services, as well as by achieving
operating efficiencies.
NBCUniversal Segments
NBCUniversal is one of the world’
s leading media and entertainment companies that develops, produces and distributes
entertainment, news and information, sports, and other content for global audiences. The Cable Networks, Broadcast Television,
Filmed Entertainment and Theme Parks segments comprise the NBCUniversal businesses (collectively, the “
NBCUniversal
segments”).
Cable Networks
Our Cable Networks segment consists primarily of a diversified portfolio of cable television networks. Our cable networks are
comprised of our national cable entertainment networks (USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Esquire Network, Sprout, Chiller,
Universal HD and Cloo), our national cable news and information networks (MSNBC, CNBC and CNBC World), our national cable
sports networks (Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network), our regional sports and news networks, various international cable
networks, our cable television production operations, and related digital media properties. Our Cable Networks segment generates
revenue primarily from the distribution of our cable network programming to multichannel video providers,
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Comcast 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-
K