Comcast finds itself in the light bulb business after striking a deal with Osram Sylvania to sell a new line of energy-efficient, “smart” LED light bulbs that can be controlled remotely by the MSO’s Xfinity Home service.
Sylvania’s Ultra iQ LED BR30 flood light bulbs, which can be plugged into any standard light bulb socket, are designed to save up to 83% in energy costs and last up to 17.5 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, the companies said. The new bulb is designed to have a life of 35,000 hours.
The bulbs also contain a dimming function that uses the wireless Zigbee Home Automation standard and can be controlled wirelessly via a smartphone or the Xfinity Home app. The new, energy-saving bulbs are dimmable to 5%.
Comcast, which launched Xfinity Home in June 2010 and now markets the home security/automation combo across its footprint, said it’s the first service provider to offer an integrated remote controlled light bulb.
Comcast plans to announce pricing and availability of the Sylvania bulb at a later date. The Xfinity Home service starts at $39.95 per month.
"With Osram Sylvania, we are bringing innovative lighting solutions that integrate with the Xfinity Home platform and provide home control and green technology features to our customers,” said Mitch Bowling, the SVP and GM of new businesses for Comcast Cable. “Home automation is a growing trend that takes complex ideas and turns them into simple solutions that can be delivered to thousands of people. This is another example of how we are continuing to evolve our Xfinity Home product by creating more innovative home control solutions for our customers to enjoy.”
