Comcast chair and CEO Brian Roberts (pictured) highlighted its mobile credentials during its Q1 earnings call, revealing plans for an employee field test of 5G in June.

Roberts stated Comcast lit the 5G radios required for the test during the quarter and made good progress in tests of spectrum for potential offload of mobile traffic.

Comcast Cable president and CEO Dave Watson added the 5G radios were turned on in February.

Watson stated Comcast on the offensive in how it presents its mobile play, employing all sales channels to drive growth in the sector.

He defended its “capital-light” approach through an MVNO agreement with Verizon as the right approach for the majority of its footprint.

When it comes to deploying its own 5G equipment, Comcast will “be ready when and if this makes sense,” Watson said, adding it is “in a good position and we’ll just be opportunistic” in future.

During Q1, Comcast added 318,000 mobile lines, its fifth consecutive quarter of all-time bests since its Xfinity Mobile service launched in 2017.

Comcast ended March with 4.3 million mobile subscribers, 1.2 million higher than the same point in 2021, fuelling a 32 per cent rise in wireless revenue.

MoffettNathanson analysts estimated mobile generated 4.1 per cent of Comcast’s cable revenue, up from 3.2 per cent in Q1 2021.