Comcast 2015 Annual Report Download - page 9

• developing multiple tools to recapture bandwidth and optimize our network to allow
for faster Internet speeds and capacity, including using advanced video encoding and
digital compression technologies and DOCSIS innovations, such as DOCSIS 3.1
• developing and deploying various technology and software tools to improve the cus-
tomer experience
Sources of Supply
To offer our video services, we license a substantial portion of our programming from cable networks and
broadcast networks, as well as from local broadcast television stations. We attempt to secure long-term
programming distribution agreements with these programming providers. We also license programming for
our On Demand and streaming services. We seek to include in our distribution agreements the rights to offer
such programming to our subscribers through multipledeliveryplatformsthatmaybeusedinavarietyof
locations, such as through On Demand, our online portal and our mobile apps.
We purchase from a limited number of suppliers a significant number of set-top boxes and certain other
customer premise equipment, network equipment and services that we use to provide our cable services to
our residential and business customers.
For our high-speed Internet services, we license software products, such as email and security software, and
content, such as news feeds for our online portal, from a variety of suppliers. Under our contracts with these
suppliers, we generally pay on a fixed-fee basis, on a per subscriber basis in the case of software product
licenses or on a video advertising revenue share basis in the case of content licenses.
For our voice services, we license software products such as voicemail and text messaging from a variety of
suppliers under multiyear contracts. The fees we pay are generally based on the consumption of the related
services.
We use two primary vendors to provide customer billing for our cable services to our residential and business
customers.
Customer and Technical Services
Our customer service call centers provide 24/7 call-answering capability, telemarketing and other services.
Our technical services group performs various tasks, including installations, plant maintenance and upgrades
to our cable distribution system.
Sales and Marketing
We offer our services directly to residential and business customers through customer service call centers,
customer service centers, door-to-door selling, telemarketing and retail outlets, as well as through advertising
via direct mail, television and the Internet. We market our cable services both individually and as bundled
services.
NBCUniversal Segments
Cable Networks
Our Cable Networks segment consists of a diversified portfolio of national cable networks that provide a
variety of entertainment, news and information, and sports content, our regional sports and news networks,
our international cable networks, and our cable television studio production operations. We also own various
digital media properties, which primarily include brand-aligned websites.
Comcast 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K 6