Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has announced the national availability of its xFi Pods WiFi extenders for whole-home WiFi. The pods plug into any electrical outlet, pair with either the company's xFi Wireless Gateway or the xFi Advanced Gateway to extend WiFi coverage to hard-to-reach areas of the home.
"Our gateway devices are incredibly powerful, but we know that some homes have a unique layout or are constructed of materials that can disrupt WiFi coverage in some rooms," said Eric Schaefer, senior vice president and general manager, Broadband, Automation and Communications, at Comcast. "WiFi is the oxygen for the digital home, and our xFi Pods can blanket a home with great coverage and are simple to install and easy to use."
xFi Pods work with the xFi Gateways to continuously monitor and optimize WiFi connections to each device. Powered by a cloud-based, remote management platform, xFi Pods evaluate the WiFi environment to ensure devices are using the best bands and WiFi channel. In addition, xFi Pods self-monitor their performance, and can "heal" themselves.
The hexagon-shaped, xFi Pods are sold either in three-packs for $119, or in six-packs for $199, plus shipping and handling. They can be purchased online at www.xfinity.com/xfipods, from the xFi app, and in certain Xfinity retail stores. Later this year, Comcast plans to introduce a monthly payment plan option to purchase xFi Pods.
The national availability of xFi Pods follows last year's launch of the Xfinity xFi platform, a digital dashboard to set up and manage home WiFi networks. xFi Pods were introduced on a limited basis in Boston and Chicago last December.