Comcast is now turning the WiFi routers it rents to cable Internet customers into neighborhood hotspots.

Comcast is transforming its customers’ home modems into public Wi-Fi hotspots by adding a second signal to each device. In addition to a customer’s home Wi-Fi connection, Xfinity wireless gateways (which include the cable modem and wireless router) will by default broadcast a separate signal that other Comcast subscribers can log in to with a Comcast username and password.

via Comcast turns your Xfinity modem into public Wi-Fi hotspot | Ars Technica.

I am reminded again of low-cost mobile carrier Republic Wireless, which offloads mobile VoIP and data traffic to WiFi whenever possible. One of the things that intrigues me about Republic Wireless is that it’s parent company, Bandwidth.com has a line of business providing VoIP termination to cable ISPs.