Rogers announced Wednesday it has signed a 10-year agreement with global media and technology company Comcast to bring the latest Xfinity broadband, smart home and connectivity products and technology to Canadians across the country, starting later this year.
A new device powered by Entertainment OS, Comcast’s next generation of connectivity, will soon be available to Rogers customers as well as an expanded suite of home security products and features developed by Comcast and Xfinity.
The Entertainment OS platform will simplify the viewing experience by bringing live sports, entertainment and news, on-demand and streaming apps into one platform, “so customers spend more time watching and less time searching with the award-winning voice remote and integrated interface,” a Rogers press release says.
Also through this agreement, Rogers will offer its customers the latest gateways developed by Comcast, enabling users to experience 10G technologies including multi-gigabit speeds, ultra-low lag and even better reliability, the release says. “This will deliver a truly converged and seamless experience between WiFi and wireless and between devices and apps,” it says.
“Our partnership with Comcast builds on our legacy of bringing Canadians the best networks, entertainment and services in the world,” Tony Staffieri, Rogers president and CEO, said in a statement. “Canadians want to be connected to the best entertainment, anywhere, without interruption and we’re proud to partner with Comcast to make this a reality.
“As world leader in converged experiences inside and outside the home, this platform will make it easy and simple for Rogers customers to connect to what they love with a seamless experience, whether on the big screen in their home or their smartphone on the go,” Staffieri added.
“Building on our nearly decade-long partnership with Rogers, we’re thrilled to deliver the next-generation of our entertainment and connectivity products, like Entertainment OS and the latest gateways, to millions of customers across Canada,” said Dave Watson, CEO of connectivity and platforms at Comcast. “Now, with the addition of these new products and services, even more customers in North America will be able to take advantage of Comcast and Xfinity’s innovative technologies.”
As part of this agreement, Rogers will also bring Xfinity’s “Storm-Ready WiFi” technology to Canada, making it the first Canadian internet provider to offer a product designed to maintain connectivity when a storm hits, trees are down or a customer experiences a local outage, Rogers says. The device is equipped with cellular backup and a rechargeable battery to keep customers up and running for hours, and it also doubles as a Wi-Fi extender to deliver a strong signal to hard-to-reach corners of the home, it says.
Rogers says commercial details will be announced as products and services are made available, starting later this year.
