'Xfinity Home' Security Service Coming To Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Comcast is starting a new wireless service the Chicago area, Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
As WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports, Xfinity Home allows subscribers to watch a live security camera on smartphones or tablets, sends alerts if it notices something like a window open, and allows users to control their thermostat and lighting.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports
Podcast
Subscription costs range from $30 to $50, but installation can vary widely depending on the number of cameras and sensors, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
The Xfinity Home system was launched in Houston in June 2010, originally under the name Xfininty Home Security, the Tribune reported. Since then, the system has expanded to more than 20 markets, the newspaper reported.
Also, the top wireless carriers are warning that they need more radio spectrum to meet the increasing demands from mobile data, and are warning of slower connections in the future.
Some experts don't buy it. They say the demand is more about keeping competitors at bay, and that technology can make more efficient use of the spectrum slices the carriers already have, the Tribune reported.
