Comcast intros free text messaging; integrates Twitter, Facebook in Xfinity Connect portal

Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is adding text messaging capabilities to its Xfinity Mobile apps for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android mobile phones and tablets. And the nation's largest cable MSO is beginning to allow its digital phone customers to send text messages through a new Xfinity Connect online portal, which also lets subscribers integrate feeds from their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Comcast is letting digital phone subscribers send free text messages through its Xfinity Mobile apps.

Spokesman Charlie Douglas told FierceCable Friday that Comcast is positioning the free text messages as value added service for its Xfinity Voice Unlimited service. The service allows subscribers to use their home phone numbers to send text messages. Comcast added the text-messaging function to its Xfinity Mobile apps in late January, and is preparing to ramp up its publicity efforts to tout the new feature and notify customers, Douglas added.

"Now you can use your home phone number to text on your mobile device. With text messaging from Xfinity you won't have to pay for an expensive texting plan from your wireless provider," Comcast wrote in email messages sent to subscribers this week.

Comcast launched its Xfinity Mobile apps in late 2009. In addition to letting subscribers send and receive free text messages, the app lets subscribers receive alerts on their mobile devices when someone calls their home Xfinity Voice line. It also features an inbox that contains both text messages and voice mail messages.

The Xfinity Connect portal is another new strategy. It lets subscribers check Facebook and Twitter feeds, synchronize online address books and share online calendars. It also lets customers access email, and listen to voice mails.

Comcast also offers subscribers an Xfinity TV app that lets iPhone, iPad and Android users watch on-demand shows and movies, and set remote DVR recordings. And it recently launched apps that let subscribers control its Xfinity Home Security and monitoring service.

Adding text-messaging capabilities to its mobile apps and online portals could help Comcast expand its social TV efforts. The company has been testing ways to integrate social TV recommendations, and allow subscribers to navigate programming based on content suggested by friends.

Douglas said that adding texting capabilities to Xfinity apps does make the apps more social, but he declined to comment on recent patent filings from Comcast that illustrate how it may integrate social TV recommendations from subscribers into its program guide.

For more:
- see this Comcast page
- see this iOS app and this Android app

Related articles:
Comcast looks at integrating social TV elements in mobile apps
Comcast rolls AnyPlay live TV to iPad and Xoom tablets
Comcast expands Xfinity Mobile to Blackberry devices
Verizon courts Android users with MY FiOS app