Comcast just launched ultra-low-lag connectivity for Xfinity customers, improving video calls using FaceTime on a variety of Apple devices. The faster service is also available in other interactive applications.
“Xfinity Internet latency will be dramatically reduced to faster than the blink of an eye,” the company promised Wednesday.
Much less latency for FaceTime on Xfinity
Latency is the time it takes data to move across a network between two computers. The goal is low latency — the minimal amount of time users spend waiting for their data to arrive. While that’s always important, it’s critical with video conferencing and gaming.
“Latency-sensitive applications will experience less delay, and a smoother, more responsive end-to-end online experience,” Comcast said.
Xfinity’s new ultra-low-lag connectivity benefits FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro. Of course, performance will also be affected by the speed of the network being used by the people on the other end of the call.
Not just for Apple users
Beyond Apple products, Xfinity’s low-latency tech is also coming to apps on Meta’s mixed reality headsets that support it, Nvidia’s GeForce Now and many games on Valve’s Steam platform. To be clear, it’s up to third-party software developers to add support for Comcast’s open-standard technology.
“We’re constantly pushing the limits of network innovation to create an experience that exceeds the expanding demands of our customers,” said Emily Waldorf, the Comcast senior vice president in charge of consumer products, connectivity and platforms. “Modern applications are real-time and interactive and require more than just fast speeds. Xfinity Internet’s lower lag times will be a differentiator for Comcast.”
The initial rollout of the low-latency service began in Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Rockville, Maryland. It will expand to more locations across the country over the next few months, Comcast said.
Via: Comcast
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
