Parental Wi-Fi Controls Becoming Increasingly Important, Comcast Takes Note

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Gaining control of kid’s online usage and behavior is a challenge faced by parents worldwide. For service providers, recognizing this challenge and offering solutions to address it can add value to broadband service packages.

Comcast recently introduced such a service, giving parents the ability to limit children’s daily internet usage through new Comcast parental Wi-Fi controls available on the Comcast Xfinity xFi platform.

The control will alert parents any time a child’s usage on the home Wi-Fi network is approaching a parent-defined allotted time.

Comcast Parental Wi-Fi Controls

A parent selects the child’s profile within the Xfinity xFi app and the sets specific weekday and weekend time limits across the child’s devices. Once the child nears the allotted time, the parent can receive a push notification and can either extend the time or pause Wi-Fi access.

“This latest xFi feature gives parents more visibility and control over their children’s online activity at home which is especially useful during the summer months, when internet usage spikes,” said Eric Schaefer, Comcast Cable senior vice president of internet and communications services, in a prepared statement. “With Xfinity xFi, we are giving customers the ability to personalize their home Wi-Fi experience and providing tools that can help solve real-life problems.”

According to Comcast, there has been a strong demand for such a capability.

A Comcast-commissioned nationwide survey of parents found that 92% think their children spend more time on their devices during the summer than any time of the year and nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of parents wish they had a way to turn off their child(ren)’s Wi-Fi access whenever they want.

The survey also found:

  • More than half (56%) of parents with teenaged children surveyed think their child(ren) would rather interact with their devices than surf the ocean waves.
  • More than three quarters (76%) of parents say their kids are more addicted to their devices than candy.