Touch down in Philadelphia International airport and you are immediately reminded of the city’s history as the birthplace of the United States. Extracts from the Declaration of Independence, signed here in 1776, are emblazoned across the walls of the arrivals hall, beaming in blue light. Yet, as you drive towards downtown you’ll be met by a glistening glimpse of the city’s future. Far from inconspicuous, US cable giant Comcast’s new Technology Center dominates the skyline, towering above the rest of the city at 341 metres high.
If you haven’t heard of Comcast, you’ll certainly be familiar with its subsidiaries – NBC Universal, Focus Features and Dreamworks Animation, to name a few. In 2018, the Fortune 500 company expanded its European presence with the US$40 billion purchase of Sky, while next month it will join the streaming wars, launching NBC Universal’s Peacock service to rival the likes of Netflix and Apple TV Plus.
Founded in the 1960s by Ralph Roberts, Comcast has become the largest cable TV and broadband provider in the US and, since the Sky acquisition, possibly the world’s biggest provider of pay TV, according to Wharton School. It has also conquered the Philadelphian cityscape with two skyscrapers in the Center City business district – its corporate HQ, Comcast Tower, gained the US$1.5 billion Technology Center as a neighbour in 2018, designed by Norman Foster.
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Business Traveller UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Business Traveller UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun
Over the past few years, tourism has shot up stratospherically; recent figures from the European Travel Commission show it's grown 86 per cent since 2019. Its GDP per capita has also been increasing, and last year stood at US$8,800, while the average monthly salary is now around 84,000 lek (£704). Foreign direct investment is also on the rise, with countries including Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands targeting sectors such as energy, mining, information and real estate to a value of around US$1.5 billion in 2022, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report. Not bad for a country which used to depend on foreign food aid.
Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London
Watching Kanesaka work his magic is performance in itself
Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen
An impressive corporate hotel just minutes from Copenhagen's centre
Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester
The perfect mix of gorgeous heritage design with cool, cosmopolitan attitude
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
A stunning success another calming experience in the capital
Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS
It remains the superior service for those travelling from London to Paris
Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG
There is a lot to like, but my experience was far from perfect
4 HOURS IN...Vienna
You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to the Austrian capital's museums, galleries and historic cafes
SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY
Escape to the secluded forests of the Loire Valley for a digital detox
More is more in the Maldives
From sky dives to submersibles, we explore the most extravagant experiences available in the Maldives
