Canada’s Rogers Licenses More Comcast Tech, Including a ‘New Device Powered by Entertainment OS’
Without using the name 'Xumo' even once, the long time user of Comcast's X1 video platform will also deploy the American cable giant’s multi-gigabit gateways, Storm-Ready WiFi tech and various Xfinity-branded home-security products
Canada’s Rogers Communications, which has licensed Comcast’s X1 video platform technology since 2016, announced Wednesday that it has signed a 10-year agreement with the American cable giant to use a lot more of its tech.
The bounty will include what Rogers describes as a “new device powered by Entertainment OS,” which on the surface sounds like Xumo Stream Box, the streaming gadget jointly launched last year by Comcast and Charter Communications that runs the former’s TVOS.
So it is the Xumo Stream Box, which is also being deployed by Cox Communications and Mediacom Communications, right?
A Rogers rep told us that “commercial details” about the video product “will be announced later this year.”
Meanwhile, Rogers said it's also licensing Comcast’s “10G” wireline internet gateway, as well as its Storm-Ready WiFi product, a gateway introduced last summer that includes backup battery power and a system for switching from wireline to cellular internet connectivity.
Rogers said it’s also licensing various Xfinity-branded home security tech from Comcast.
“Our partnership with Comcast builds on our legacy of bringing Canadians the best networks, entertainment and services in the world,” Tony Staffieri, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, 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.”
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Rogers is the largest wireless company in Canada, with 11.6 million customers at the end of 2023. But it’s also still one of the country’s largest cable companies, with 4.2 million “retail internet” users and 2.25 million remaining linear video subscribers
Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!