Comcast is sharing the wealth, signing up not one but three national service providers to augment its private network in delivering Comcast Digital Voice. In addition to AT&T, announced Wednesday morning, Comcast is also using Level 3 Communications and Sprint to provide backbone services.

“We own and manage our own network,” a Comcast spokeswoman explained. “These companies are providing connectivity and redundancy for that network.”

Sprint has positioned itself as a partner to the cable industry, on the wireline and wireless sides. Level 3 is providing backbone services to cable providers, VoIP providers and other service providers within the U.S.

Comcast announced Comcast Digital Voice service earlier this year, and has been rolling out the VoIP service, which it is now offering in addition to the cable telephony service it inherited from AT&T Broadband when the two companies merged.

According to Current Analysis, Comcast will “pose a much greater threat to the RBOCs,” once its voice network is in place. The analyst firm says Comcast forecasts offering the service to 15 million homes it passes by the end of 2005, but it doesn't expect to reach full market coverage until the end of 2006. It puts Comcast’s pricing of its new VoIP offering high at $39.95 a month, which is higher than consumer offerings from Vonage and other VoIP but also features primary line replacement capabilities such as E911 support and battery backup in the event of a power outage.