The 2024 NFL Draft is coming to Detroit this week, and for nearly a year, our team has been hard at work preparing for the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to visit the city.
Our planning has been grounded in providing an excellent customer experience for both our local Xfinity and Comcast Business customers, and customers taking their services on the go to experience the NFL Draft in our own backyard.
Today, the Xfinity network covers 100% of the city of Detroit. Within our footprint, we’re expecting hundreds of thousands of additional connected devices to join the network over the NFL Draft weekend – including both WiFi and cellular service-based devices, like cell phones, laptops, and tablets. We’ve increased network capacity to support the influx, and are prepared to deliver fast, reliable connections to everyone that connects to our network through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Xfinity Mobile services.
Infrastructure Upgrades & Enhancements
We’ve completed a number of hardware upgrades downtown with the goal of increasing speeds and increasing capacity to allow more data through our network. These upgrades include replacing many of the nodes that currently serve the downtown area – a change that will double the available network speed. This means residents and fans can expect faster internet through the Xfinity network as they stream, video call, and post on social media from the fan zone, even as hundreds of thousands of visitors – and their phones, laptops, and tablets – connect to our Detroit network.
In partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation, we’ve added infrastructure to enable several nonprofit facilities to stream the NFL Draft in neighborhoods outside of downtown. This week, we’ll complete installations at NW Goldberg Cares’ Curtis Jones Park and MACC Development’s The Commons to support streaming on large projector screens. Our field teams will install modems, fiber lines, ethernet cables, and other hardware to enable access for Detroit families, residents, and community members who participate in programming through MACC Development and NW Goldberg Cares to enjoy the NFL Draft even closer to home. Families and residents can also connect to a number of nearby Xfinity WiFi hotspots while enjoying the livestream.
These investments are just a small piece of our long-standing commitment to providing best-in-class products and services in Michigan. Each year, we invest millions of dollars in technology and infrastructure to expand and upgrade and increase broadband access, including in the city of Detroit. Over the last three years alone, our investment has included more than $855 million in infrastructure and upgrades to our network in Michigan.
Xfinity Mobile
Xfinity Mobile is the next-generation of mobile technologies that power a best-in-class network here in Detroit, and across the U.S. By combining the best of WiFi and cellular technologies from Verizon and Comcast’s network of more than 22 million hotspots nationwide, we’ve created a truly wireless experience – while also saving our customers even more money. The recent launch of Xfinity Mobile reduced the price of our mobile services, added more features, and made it easier for customers to choose the best plan to suit their needs.
For those in Detroit for the NFL Draft, this means not only can they rely on Xfinity Mobile to keep them connected throughout the weekend via cellular data, but Xfinity Mobile, Xfinity Internet, Comcast Business Internet, and Internet Essentials customers can all access one of hundreds of Xfinity WiFi hotspots in Detroit to connect to the Internet – free of charge.
Customers can use the Xfinity WiFi hotspot map in the Xfinity app or online to locate a hotspot in advance, or while on the go. Just look for the “xfinitywifi” or “XFINITY” SSID and login with your credentials when prompted. Xfinity Mobile customers can also prioritize their data speeds while in the Fan Zone downtown to enjoy the experience with better upload and download speeds for streaming, posting, sharing, and more.
Comcast is committed to delivering reliable connectivity that enhances the lives of both customers in Detroit, and the businesses that will host, feed, and entertain the fans coming to the city for Draft weekend. The NFL Draft means something special to the City of Detroit, and to many of our thousands of Michigan-based Comcast employees.
To all the football fans here in Detroit and those joining across the country: We’ve been preparing for months, and we’re ready for you. We’re proud to serve our customers during this special moment and are ready to help them enjoy the NFL Draft.
