Complete Story
 

04/12/2018

Cox expands Comcast-backed HomeLife automation service nationally, charges $29.99 a month for it

After testing its HomeLife home automation service in San Diego and Rhode Island, Cox Communications said it’s in the process of rolling out the product to its national footprint.

HomeLife is built around IoT technology developed by iControl, a company acquired by Comcast in June 2016. Comcast, which is also in the process of expanding availability of its iControl-backed home automation product, now licenses the technology to privately held Cox. 

The service provides features including an indoor/outdoor HD security camera that delivers motion-activated recording; custom alerts and notifications sent directly to mobile devices that let users know about crises on the home front; remote control of lighting, locks and thermostats via mobile devices; and 24/7 support. 

In January, Comcast announced that it was expanding the home automation piece beyond the circa 1 million subscribers for its dedicated home automation and security service. Now, the nearly 15 million users of Comcast’s advanced xFi gateway can use the home automation features for free. 

RELATED: Comcast set to license home automation to Charter, Cox, Rogers, others in the same way it licenses X1 in video

For its part, Cox didn’t discuss price in its announcement, but described the home automation service as a “choice.” A Cox website for the HomeLife product lists the starter price at $29.99 a month. The “Preferred” package, which includes remote video monitoring, is listed at $44.99 a month. 

“We see two markets forming, a well-established and growing home security market and an emerging market who aspires to smart home living but who may not want 24/7 monitored security,” aid Kristine Faulkner, senior VP of Cox Homelife, in a statement. 

“Offering more choices in the Cox Homelife portfolio enables us to expand our reach beyond the homes that are buying home security today and establishes an umbrella for future expansion into every home,” Faulkner added. “The idea of a smart home can be daunting. Consumers want the ease of a professional installation, education about how to integrate and use smart home devices for worry-free living, and ongoing support they don’t get with other one-off products.”

https://www.fiercecable.com/cable/cox-expands-comcast-backed-homelife-automation-service-nationally-charges-29-99-a-month-for?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTURZMVlUZ3hZbVl4WlRVMyIsInQiOiJ3amxPMlhHYUgyN2YzVWhqNjdVSHFNSFcwTmJnWWR6VUQyeGJaRyszUGtxNE1GSzZNTFdUaGVPVXNsTXVrNTd0WWRtRHp4a0hYcURjWWNoZ3JUaXpTZjJWZFZqWTNldGJ2OWhMM2VUTmk4eEF2dUxNeXY2d2lSWE8wU2JLY3p5WCJ9&mrkid=18389055

 

Printer-Friendly Version