Comcast Corporation on Monday will launch a rebranding initiative in the Twin Cities.

The Philadelphia-based company said that it will use a new brand name-Xfinity-for its cable, Internet, and phone services.

The company's corporate name will remain the same, and there will be no immediate changes in service. However, Comcast said it will soon extend the number of available high-definition channels available to some local customers and introduce faster residential broadband service than what's currently offered in this market.

Company spokesman Dave Nyberg said Friday that Comcast has continued to increase the amount of content delivered to customers and the platforms in which that content reaches them. Rebranding is “the next step in the company's evolution,” he said.

The company began its rebranding efforts earlier this year in select markets across the country and has continued to launch the new brand in additional markets ever since. Nyberg said that the roll out of Xfinity is about halfway completed, and the company expects to have launched the new brand in the vast majority of U.S. markets by the end of 2010.

Since the rebranding first began, it has received mixed reviews. Critics have accused the company of trying to escape a reputation that it provides poor customer service-an allegation that company representatives have denied.

Comcast has a large presence in Minnesota and throughout the country. It serves more than 556,000 cable customers in 113 communities throughout the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, and western Wisconsin. The company doesn't reveal numbers of Internet and phone subscribers in specific markets for competitive reasons, but it has 16.4 million Internet customers and 8.1 million residential phone customers across the United States.

Comcast's regional headquarters is located in downtown St. Paul. The company employs more than 1,900 area residents.