Comcast Voices

Skype on Xfinity Begins National Rollout

2012-05-16T16:57:00Z

Starting today, in Boston and Seattle, we are beginning to launch one of the latest innovations in our communication offerings, Skype on Xfinity. This service, which will be available in 10 markets this week, is yet another example of how Comcast is delivering personalized entertainment and communication options to our customers across multiple platforms.

Through our close collaboration with Skype, we focused on building a new product that brings family and friends together through a high-quality video calling experience, in vivid HD (720p/30fps), right from their big-screen TV. It's an entirely new way that our customers can interact with their TVs and the people in their lives that matter the most. As real-time video communication becomes a more integral part of the way people connect, Skype on Xfinity is bringing a simple, affordable, high-quality video calling experience that will allow our customers to communicate with hundreds of millions of Skype users across the globe.

I use Skype on Xfinity just about every night with my family, some who live near and others who live far, and it gives us the opportunity to see each other as we're catching up on the day. The great thing is, I don't have to miss my favorite TV programs while we're communicating because Skype on Xfinity is a fully integrated TV experience that allows you to continue watching TV while video calling (with picture in picture functionality) or instant messaging all at the same time. Currently, no other Skype offering is using HDMI passthrough capability. Which means with Skype on Xfinity, you never have to miss a key moment in a game, breaking news or a season finale because you can quickly telescope back to what you were watching full-screen while continuing to chat with family and friends.

To use Skype on Xfinity, customers will need Xfinity Internet service, an HDMI-capable Comcast cable set-top box and a Skype account. Another great feature about the service is that for Skype-to-Skype calls or instant messages, the other calling party does not need any special equipment beyond what is needed to use Skype. With 4G Network connections that offer mobility, it's possible for Skype users around the globe to use their smartphone, tablet or PC to connect while on-the-go with a Skype on Xfinity customer. Skype on Xfinity has also been optimized for WiFi, so it can work over home wireless networks, like our wireless gateway, or you can choose a wired Ethernet connection.

We've spent a lot of time fine tuning Skype on Xfinity to make it the best user experience for our customers and we're looking forward to bringing it to more markets in the coming weeks.

The Facts about Xfinity TV and Xbox 360: Comcast is Not Prioritizing

2012-05-15T19:47:38Z

As we previously announced, Xfinity TV customers are now able to watch Xfinity TV On Demand on the Xbox 360 — the latest new platform that we are using to bring more content to consumers. And while we'll continue to deliver our cable service through set-top boxes, the Xbox 360 is the first of many consumer-friendly changes we'll be announcing in the months ahead as we respond to consumers who want to watch their favorite content when they want to watch it, where they want to watch it, on multiple devices.

But our Xfinity TV Xbox launch — which we thought was a great, pro-consumer benefit — continues to prompt questions about how we deliver this new service, and we think it's important to clarify how this all works.

Your Xbox 360 running Xfinity TV On Demand essentially acts as an additional cable box for your existing cable service. This is an exciting development because it enables consumers to watch their cable service video-on-demand in their homes through a device other than a traditional set-top box — in this case, using a gaming console that delivers Xfinity TV On Demand over our managed network. Rather than delivering this content in the traditional way we deliver our cable services (which is often referred to as video over QAM) or delivering it over the Internet (as, for example, a Netflix or Hulu Plus would do), we are sending that cable service using IP technology to the Xbox over our managed network.

Specifically, we provision a separate, additional bandwidth flow into the home for the use of this service — above and beyond, and distinct from, the bandwidth a customer has for his or her regular Internet access service. Our Xfinity TV content is provided through the Xbox over that separate service flow, and therefore does not use a customer's provisioned Internet service capacity. We use Differentiated Services Code Point ("DSCP") markings to mark the Xfinity TV packets to identify these packets so our network knows that these packets must be transmitted over the separate service flow from the CMTS to the customer's cable modem.

There's also been some chatter that we might be prioritizing our Xfinity TV content on the Xbox. It's really important to us that we make crystal clear that, in contrast to some other providers, we are not prioritizing our transmission of Xfinity TV content to the Xbox (as some have speculated). While DSCP markings can be used to assign traffic different priority levels, that is not their only application — and that is not what they are being used for here.

It's also important to point out that our Xfinity TV content being delivered to the Xbox is the same video subscription that you've already paid for, to your home over our traditional cable network — the difference is that we are now delivering it using IP technology to the Xbox 360, in a similar manner as other IP-based cable service providers. But this is still our traditional cable television service, which is governed by something known as Title VI of the Communications Act, and we provide the service in compliance with applicable FCC rules.

Many of the other services that are delivered to the Xbox 360 travel to the device via the public Internet. And like traffic that runs over the public Internet and is usually available both inside and outside of the home, including our XfinityTV.com content, our Xfinity TV iPad app, and NBC's digital properties like nbc.com, our broadband data usage threshold applies. We treat all of this traffic the same, as required by the FCC's Open Internet rules and the FCC Order and DOJ Consent Decree entered into in connection with the NBCUniversal transaction. And Comcast's network is consistently rated among the best in terms of the quality of delivering broadband Internet services — including by online video providers.

Comcast is committed to an open Internet and has pledged to abide by the FCC's Open Internet rules — and our policies with respect to Xfinity TV and the Xbox 360 fully comply with those rules and our commitments. Comcast continues to evaluate the impact, effectiveness, and fairness of its data usage standards, and our fundamental philosophical approach is that the application of broadband Internet data usage thresholds must be based on fair treatment for all of our customers — services that go over the Internet, whether they are XfinityTV.com, nbc.com, or others, are all subject to the same data usage thresholds.

Whatever the delivery method, all of these new ways to watch video, and devices like the Xbox 360 that receive content in an IP format, enable us to bring new experiences to consumers...and that's what we'll continue to strive to do.

WatchESPN Now Available to Comcast Xfinity TV Customers

2012-05-08T13:36:47Z

Good news, sports fans! Xfinity TV customers can now add WatchESPN online and the WatchESPN app for iOS devices to their live sports toolkit. With WatchESPN, you have even greater flexibility in where you follow your favorite teams. Today, Xfinity TV customers can flip between live games on TV using the Xfinity TV Remote Sports app and use WatchESPN to check out other live coverage on their laptops and iOS devices. It's a great way to stay on top of all the action during the NHL and NBA playoffs.

Want more? You'll can get all the WatchESPN content through Xfinitytv.com including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.

Be sure to follow @XfinitySports on Twitter to keep up with latest from Xfinity, your home for the most live sports.

Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Culture with Films that Look at Icons on Xfinity TV

2012-05-07T17:57:53Z

Back in 2010, Xfinity TV launched Cinema Asian America on Xfinity On Demand, a unique service which features Asian-Pacific American and Asian programming, and is the only one of its kind in the nation. Each month, I curate a collection of films around ideas that are in the zeitgeist and national conversation, from focuses on foodie films, to the balancing acts of daily life in America. It's like having a film festival in your living room.

To celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, I put together a special collection of films that showcase the diversity, creativity and dynamism of the Asian American community. These films and specials are at the heart of Xfinity TV's May offerings.

The collection includes documentaries that highlight the lives of iconic figures — famous and infamous, loved and hated, comedic and militant — but all unique. Some films I recommend seeing include Sorceress of the New Piano, a portrait of New York-based, Singaporean avant-garde musician Margaret Leng Tan, most well known for her performance of the toy piano and Aoki, a film about the life of Richard Aoki, a third generation Japanese American and a civil rights activist. Another favorite of mine is Kimjongilia, which gives viewers a glimpse into North Korean society through the cult of personality built around the late Kim Jong Il. All of these films reveal the complexity and reality of individuals who often loom larger than life, and are but just three of the many films available during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month on Xfinity TV. Come check out these films and others, and become part of the conversation on Xfinity On Demand.

Comcast Survey: High-Speed Networks Are Helping Transform Businesses

2012-05-03T14:00:37Z

Companies are moving more and more data, applications and mission-critical digital assets from on-premise systems to cloud-based environments. We've been talking for awhile now about how this shift is causing many companies to "double down" on their last mile network connection to ensure fast, reliable access to the information they need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But just how significant of an impact does network connectivity now have on business operations and success? Comcast Business Services recently commissioned a survey of IT and business managers at small- and medium-sized businesses to find out.

According to survey results, seven in 10 businesses view network connectivity as having evolved from a tactical cost of doing business to a strategic or transformational asset — a 67% increase compared to two years ago! This suggests network connectivity is becoming more than just infrastructure "plumbing" — it's now a critical connection needed to operate effectively.

To further support this, a recent report by analyst firm Analysys Mason suggests that the SMB cloud services market in the U.S. will grow from $2.0 billion in 2011 to $5.3 billion in 2016. In order to make this happen, more businesses will realize that moving to the cloud isn't enough — it's how quickly and reliably they can access that cloud (and the applications in it) that will determine their success.

Ethernet Emerges as Best of Breed

And as businesses realize this, they're finding that Ethernet is a connectivity solution that can meet their needs. This is evidenced in a recent Vertical Systems Group report that found businesses are now investing in Ethernet over T1 lines or other legacy technologies for network connectivity. And our own survey results suggest this "death" of the T1 too. According to the survey, Ethernet is the most common technology used by organizations today (65%) and overwhelmingly the solution that organizations plan to invest in over the next 12 to 24 months (57%).

Survey data is one thing, but here's a real world example of a customer using Ethernet to transform their business. Navos, a mental health facility based in Seattle, recently upgraded its network infrastructure from a 1.5 Mbps T1 line from the phone company to a 50 Mbps Comcast Business Class Ethernet connection. With the switch, Navos will see $7,200 per year in cost savings; experience an 80% reduction in data back-up time; and improve its patient care through quick access to electronic patient records, fast file transfers and reliable video conferencing capabilities.

Is your company ready to be transformed by Ethernet?

Comcast Voices: Lee Russakoff

2012-05-01T18:46:09Z

Lee Russakoff got his start at Comcast as the sports editor of Xfinity.com, where he wrote his popular blog, The Russakoff Rules. Since joining Comcast six years ago, Lee is now the site's Managing Producer of Digital Content and Strategy. Watch the video to hear Lee share his story.

Comcast and Verizon Wireless Bring New Offers to More Consumers in More Markets

2012-04-30T20:00:36Z

Earlier this year, we gave consumers in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco more ways to connect, communicate and enjoy entertainment whether in the home or on-the-go by adding Verizon Wireless' services to our Xfinity Internet, Video and Voice offerings. I'm excited to announce that we're now expanding the offer to six additional markets, and also adding additional incentives for both new and existing Xfinity customers in all eight of the launch markets.

As of today, consumers in Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado, Kansas City, MO, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City looking for a great wireless, video, data and communications experience will have everything they need via this new option. Additionally, depending on the package they choose, they will be eligible for a variety of new offers and incentives including Visa prepaid cards valued between $50 and $300, and/or a "Double your Data Package" consisting of a complementary 12-month upgrade to Blast!, our Xfinity Internet service that provides download speeds of up to 30 Mbps with PowerBoost® and a doubling of a 4G LTE data plan from Verizon Wireless.

Our collaboration with Verizon Wireless is receiving great reviews from customers in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco and now consumers in six additional markets will have the option to build a fantastic in-home experience through our Xfinity services, along with the reliability of Verizon Wireless' network while on-the-go.

Comcast Cares Day 2012: A Day in Photos

2012-04-26T14:37:19Z

Last Saturday was Comcast Cares Day, and 67,000 Comcast employees, their families and their friends offered their time and elbow grease to nearly 650 projects in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Comcast and NBCUniversal volunteers painted schools; planted trees and gardens; cleaned up parks and trails; and beautified community centers.

But perhaps the biggest gifts during the 11th Comcast Cares Day were the smiles shared by the employees, the executives, the volunteers and the communities where they made a lasting impact on this day of service.

It was another day of memories as Comcast, NBC and Telemundo all hosted rewarding projects. Here's a look at our biggest day of community investment.

Comcast Cable CEO Neil Smit (top) leads the paint detail at Slonaker Elementary School in San Jose.

In Miami, more than 500 volunteers from Comcast, NBC, Telemundo and City Year showed up to give Silver Bluff Elementary School a makeover.

NBC5 Meteorologist Dave Finfrock talks weather with a willing listener at Earth Day Dallas.

It took a bucket truck to top off a new play set at the Knoxville Boys & Girls Club.

In Jersey City, Webb Park takes turn for the green with the planting project.

One word sums it all up as these volunteer painters from NBCUniversal transform a wall at Lankershim Elementary School in North Hollywood, CA.

IPv6 Home Networking Pilot Market Launch Begins

2012-04-25T17:15:18Z

After significant planning, testing, deployment, and other preparation, we have achieved another critical milestone in our transition to IPv6, by starting the production rollout of support for IPv6 customer home networking! We are the first ISP in North America that has launched support for native IPv6 for both standalone computers and customer home networking. This follows our November 2011 production deployment for standalone computers. So whether a customer in a pilot market connects their home gateway device (a.k.a. router) directly to a cable modem or connects a single PC to their cable modem, they now can use IPv6 if their equipment supports IPv6.

This is a yet another significant milestone for our team at Comcast, the cable industry, and the Internet overall. As a pioneer and catalyst for the real world and at-scale deployment of IPv6 across the Internet beginning more than 7 years ago, this will greatly expand native dual stack support across our network and services. It is also the start of a new wave of IPv6-capable users on the Internet, since the large majority of customers use a home gateway device.

Just as with our standalone computer support for IPv6, customer home networking is also native dual stack. This means that eligible customers will be provisioned with IPv6 addresses in addition to their IPv4 address. We maintain our commitment to the goal of a seamless transition to IPv6 and strongly believe that native dual stack is the best approach for our customers. We also believe that this strategy will over time will meaningfully differentiate our service from our competitors in a way that customers will greatly appreciate. Our native dual stack Xfinity Internet service will provide customers with direct IPv4 and IPv6 access, without the need to use a tunnel, proxy, network address translator, or other inefficient, outdated, and error-prone middlebox. That means customer Internet access will continue to be direct and fast. And because middlebox solutions are not used, customers avoid the risk that certain applications slow down, fail to work, or experience other annoying errors. Since two of the main reasons customers buy our Xfinity Internet service is reliability and the speed — and this approach ensures that we maintain both while other ISPs may face challenges doing so over time — we think our strategic approach to IPv6 will be a winner in the marketplace in the coming years.

This deployment will occur first in our existing pilot market areas, which initially includes parts of Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In the coming months one of our biggest objectives is continuing to expand this deployment to more and more of our network around the U.S.

We again extend our appreciation to our vendor partners and especially our co-workers who have been committed to the goal to seamlessly introduce IPv6 in our network and to lead the way in the U.S. We continue to encourage others across the Internet ecosystem, especially content providers, to enable IPv6 support by default.

For all the key technical details, check out this complementary blog post today from John Jason Brzozowski.

IPv6 Home Networking Pilot Market Deployment Technical Details

2012-04-25T17:05:28Z

Comcast has launched support for IPv6-enabled customer home networking, the second of two phases for our initial rollout of IPv6. This phase builds upon our earlier work where we enabled IPv6 support for standalone computers. By now enabling IPv6 support for home networking customers (those using a home gateway / router), in areas where we have launched, customers can now able to take advantage of and begin using IPv6. Our launch of IPv6-enabled customer home networking is also critical to our participation in World IPv6 Launch; see the World IPv6 Launch site for more information.

Comcast's IPv6 launches so far have leveraged reliable and high performance CMTSes from Arris. Comcast continues to work with its other network equipment vendors to ensure production grade IPv6 support is available to all of Comcast customers. In particular we are working closely with Cisco and expect that their CMTS platform will soon be ready to support IPv6 reliably and at scale in production, so that our deployment can expand beyond our Arris CMTS footprint.

As part of our initial launch, Comcast has tested a subset of home networking equipment to help ensure our customers continue to have the best possible broadband experience during the transition to IPv6. Comcast is pleased to note that D-Link products have been widely used as part of our trials and initial production deployment. For a more complete list of home networking devices and cable modems we have tested please visit MyDeviceInfo for regular updates. It is important to note that while some home gateway vendors say their product is IPv6-compatible, this may only be partial IPv6 support and may not mean that a native dual stack configuration is possible. We work closely with home networking vendors and the consumer electronics community to ensure the greatest level of IPv6 compatibility for our common customers. Support for stateful DHCPv6 continues to be a critical requirement as we launch customer home networking support for IPv6.

With this milestone Comcast will provide foundational support for IPv6, which we expect to expand and evolve over time. The initial launch of IPv6 customer home networking supports the allocation or delegation of an IPv6 prefix that is by default a /64 in length. Based on our testing and the capabilities of devices today we felt that allocating prefixes of this length balances earlier deployment of IPv6 with advanced deployment configurations for the home. We remain committed to enhancing our support for IPv6 customer home networking beginning later in 2012. As we evolve our deployment for nationwide rollout in 2012, we plan to update our IPv6 allocations to provide shorter prefixes based on the type of service and/or devices in use by our subscribers, as well as the prefix size their device requests. We believe that offering a range of shorter prefix lengths is important to our customers, as this can enable multiple networks and some exciting potential new home networking services.

Native dual stack support remains central to Comcast deployment of IPv6, which means that customers who are enabled with IPv6 for home networking will be provisioned with IPv6 in addition to IPv4. This approach allows us to avoid the near term use of other types of transition technologies like tunnel and large scale Network Address Translation (NAT). Our experience and industry best practices continue to suggest that native dual stack offers the best path to a seamless IPv6 transition and an optimal customer experience, which is paramount to Comcast.

For a strategic view of this announcement, check out this complementary blog post today from Jason Livingood.

Comcast 2011 Annual Review

2012-04-24T15:32:57Z

Want to know more about what Comcast accomplished in 2011? Check out our interactive annual review to learn more about our new Xfinity products and services as well as top stories from NBCUniversal.

Comcast Cares Day 2012

2012-04-21T18:40:43Z

Some 67,000 Comcast and NBCUniversal employees, their families, and their friends
across the country today volunteered at 650 project sites in 39 states and Washington, DC, during the 11th Comcast Cares Day . Click on the video above to hear first hand what giving back to our communities means to the many people who gave their time today to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Volunteers brighten the cafeteria with fresh paint at Frankford High School in North East Philadelphia

Jenna Wolfe of The Today Show smiles with volunteers from Comcast and City Year in between her live broadcasts from the front steps of Frankford High School in Northeast, Philadelphia.

A volunteer at St. Cyril School in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, heads out to do some landscaping and help beautify the school's grounds.

A volunteer at Frankford Boys & Girls Club in Northeast Philadelphia shows the result of some hard work painting a mural.

Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts plans the next project with Sister Barbara Montague, Principal of St. Cyril School in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

Q&A With Todd Green, GM of Tribeca Film, on the 11th Annual Tribeca Film Festival

2012-04-18T17:03:14Z

The 11th Annual Tribeca Film Festival kicks off today in New York City. For those of you who can't make the trip to the Big Apple to participate in the festival, Xfinity TV is bringing customers access to some of the Festival's films and behind-the-scenes extras on Xfinity On Demand and XfinityTV.com. This offering includes three films available before they make their debut at the Tribeca Film Festival: Death of a Superhero, The Giant Mechanical Man and Sleepless Night. I had a chance to chat with Todd Green, General Manager of Tribeca Film, about this year's festival, what films to be on the lookout for and how the landscape of distributing independent films is changing.

If viewers can't make it to the festival, can you give them any tips on how to create a Tribeca Film Festival experience of their own?

I love the idea of people hosting "Tribeca Film Festival" parties right in their living rooms by using the power of Xfinity On Demand. With four of this year's Festival titles playing On Demand, and three available even before they premiere at the Festival, people can literally program an evening or weekend or week of Tribeca Film Festival titles for themselves and their friends. In addition to the features we have extra content that gives viewers an insider's look at the films...just like you would at the festival. We even have two titles we're making available On Demand from last year's festival, so that gives people six Tribeca Film Festival titles to choose from. People should have fun with creating whatever festival experience they want, either getting a group together in a physical space or by using their social networks to share the experience of watching a film. That's what's special about a festival...the ability to talk about films and hear other points of view. You can do that with Tribeca Film On Demand during this year's festival and all year long.

For new indie film fans, can you share some of your favorites with us? What are a few of your must-sees?

I think it's important that all indie film fans experience the diversity a festival like Tribeca offers. A film festival is the perfect place to experience films that you wouldn't necessarily gravitate toward. A few of my favorites this year include Sleepless Night, billed by The Hollywood Reporter as "a sort of Die Hard (in a nightclub) crossed with Taken," Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story; an extraordinary doc that examines the implications a 1966 NBC News documentary about the changing times in the American South had on one person's decision to finally speak his mind. The doc is the subject of a full "Dateline NBC" broadcast May 20, 2012, at 7pm.

What role does technology play in the independent film world?

Advances in technology have improved the economics of indie film. Indie filmmakers' production costs have dropped considerably thanks to improvements in digital cameras. The explosion of social media has helped filmmakers market their films in ways never thought possible with limited marketing budgets. Finding an audience for indie films is still a challenge, but advances in technology allow people to watch films when and where they want. When you consider that video-on-demand is only ten years old it's exciting to imagine what the next ten years will bring to the independent film community. A film in this year's festival, Side by Side, addresses some of these questions. Narrated by Keanu Reeves, Side by Side looks at the transition being made from traditional film to digital. And it's not just the indie filmmakers making the transition, it's some of Hollywood's biggest names too.

Internet Essentials' Program Enhancements Update

2012-04-17T13:33:01Z

In late January, Comcast made a number of announcements about enhancements we had either made or planned to make to our Internet Essentials program. Today, I'm pleased to provide an update about our progress.

These enhancements are really important improvements to our already successful program for a couple of reasons. For one, we continually look for ways to make the program better and make changes as soon as we can. In addition, we want to reach even more customers as well as make existing customers happier with the service so they remain connected. For example, when we first started out, Internet Essentials was offered to families with children eligible to receive "free" school lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Today, we have officially extended the program to include families with children eligible to receive "reduced" price lunches too. This change adds about 300,000 households in our service area who can now apply for the program — bringing our estimated total to about 2.3 million eligible families. So, the universe of the program just got bigger, which is a good thing.

Second, we doubled the speed of the broadband connection provided with Internet Essentials. A faster connection will make our service even more enjoyable for current customers as well as help attract new ones. It now comes with up to 3 Mbps downstream and up to 768 Kbps upstream, which makes the online experience even better than it was before. The increase is available now and we notified customers by email that the only thing they need to do is reboot their modems in order to immediately get the new speeds.

Third, as we announced in January, we have streamlined the application process by providing an instant approval process for all students attending schools with the highest percentage of NSLP participation, including Provision 2 schools.

We'll continue to update you about new Internet Essentials program developments throughout the year. We're really excited to sign up more families now and we're already hard at work preparing for the next "back to school" season.

To learn more about the program or to order free, updated collateral materials, please visit www.internetessentials.com.

Comcast Cares Day 2012 — We Volunteer Because...

2012-04-16T14:41:15Z

Comcast is once again preparing for one of our most exciting days of the year — Comcast Cares Day. This weekend, thousands of Comcast employees will spend Saturday, April 21st, working side-by-side with family, friends and community partners for our annual companywide day of service.

We could use this space to talk about how Comcast Cares Day is one of the largest single-day corporate volunteer efforts in the country. We could use this space to note that since the event began in 2001, we've had more than 360,000 volunteers give back more than 2.1 million hours of service at nearly 3,500 project sites in local communities across the country.

But instead, we thought we'd use this space to share a few personal stories as told by the people who make Comcast Cares Day a success each year.

Pamela Heffernan Fowler, an administrative assistant in Colorado Springs and a Comcast employee for more than two decades, was personally touched when she and her family volunteered at LifeQuest Transitions (LQT), a nonprofit organization helping soldiers transition from military life to civilian life. Fowler, whose own father and husband each served in the U.S. Armed Services, felt extremely privileged to meet the men and women that LQT helps on a daily basis. By the end of the day, after all the painting and cleaning was done,the thought of the soldiers making use of the updated facility made her feel great. "We are very fortunate," Fowler said. "And that's why we choose to give back."
Brian G. Ray, a CommTech supervisor in Houston, recalls volunteering at BARC, a local animal shelter. "BARC was my most memorable experience because it was a family event. My wife and daughter both volunteered and had a great time. We cleaned the dog runs, washed and walked the dogs and planted trees." Volunteering at BARC made such an impact on his family that at the end of the day they brought home a new and unexpected family member. "We adopted a dog from the shelter. Although it was not in the original plans for the day, the spirit of the day and seeing what the people of BARC do for the community prompted us to adopt and add another dog to our family, a beagle-dachshund mix named Shooter. Without the experience of volunteering for Comcast Cares Day last year at the BARC shelter we would never have met Shooter and had the opportunity to provide him a home."
Betsy Wilkinson, an executive assistant in Philadelphia, recalls her favorite Comcast Cares Day in 2010 when she volunteered at a local park. "The weather was just perfect and I spent the day outdoors working with children. Together, we planted flowers in flowerpots we had decorated and delivered them to senior citizens at a nearby residence. Over the years, in addition to helping the community, I have had an opportunity to meet fellow Comcasters that I would never have known personally if we hadn't worked together on Comcast Cares Day."
Russ Schoengarth, a technical operations supervisor in Rutland, Vt., remembers volunteering time with his family at the Boys & Girls Club. "I volunteer because over the past few years at different Comcast Cares Day events, I have been able to teach my children the value of giving back to their community. This has helped them see that even their small hands can make a difference in many people's lives.As a family, we have returned to some of the Boys & Girls Clubs to give more of our time. My children have even received birthday gifts and then donated them to the club. They came to this decision on their own and I am very proud of them for recognizing the importance of giving at such an early age."

To learn how we are enhancing communities and improving lives this Comcast Cares Day, check us out on Facebook at or follow us on Twitter at #CCDay.