Comcast Internet Offers New Spanish Services

Partnership With Madrid Firm Adds News Site

Comcast has joined the ranks of U.S. Internet service providers offering programming packages for Spanish-speaking consumers, partnering with Terra Networks -- an online service with world headquarters in Madrid -- to create Comcast Latino.

The service melds Spanish-language news with Spanish versions of other Comcast high-speed Internet features, such as e-mail, that previously were available in only English.

Wireless and broadband company Verizon Communications Inc. recently launched a Spanish version of its Web site. America Online launched AOL Latino in 2003; the Web portals of both Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN have Spanish versions.

"The Hispanic community is a fast-growing one," said Charlie Herrin, Comcast's senior vice president of Internet product development. "We are in a lot of metropolitan areas where that's an important community to serve."

Herrin said research has shown that Spanish-speaking customers in the United States tend to stay online a little longer and look at more pages than English speakers. It's a "very connected" market, he said.

Comcast has 8.5 million subscribers in 35 states and the District. The company will not say how many of those subscriptions are with Spanish-speaking households. According to research firm ComScore Media Metrix, 14.8 million Hispanics in the United States used the Internet in January 2006.

To offer the Comcast Latino service, Comcast has partnered with Terra Networks, a major Web portal in the Spanish-speaking world with 38 million visitors a month and sites geared toward delivering news in 18 countries.

Yesterday afternoon, the Terra.com site featured news about potential health risks in sushi; films stars "Tom y Katie"; and a photo essay of the newest sports cars, headlined "Loco por los autos."

Though the Comcast service won't include news that users can't find at its Terra.com site, José Luis Carrete, director of business development for Terra, said the partnership aims to attract Spanish-speakers by integrating Comcast's other services with news reports in one easy-to-access package.

"Convenience is the main reason," he said. "If you have your e-mail there, why go somewhere else?"

Philadelphia-based Comcast has been testing the service with customers, but publicly launched Comcast Latino at an awards show in the District last night presented by the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights and advocacy group.