Washington, D.C., is one of 12 cities where Comcast Corp. is launching a wireless network to handle data coming from smart utilities, hospital patient monitoring and other internet-connected devices that businesses deploy.

The Philadelphia-based cable giant (NASDAQ: CMCSA) plans to have established the internet of things network, known as “machineQ,” by summer 2018. Other cities that are part of the launch are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Oakland, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

Internet of things, or IoT, technologies are a hot field thanks to a generation of capable and affordable sensors and wireless internet connectivity in cities and on corporate campuses.

Having a network available for IoT technologies is hoped to spark interest from corporate or municipal users and from startups building new technologies, Comcast said.

“Companies now can build for the future knowing our network is going to be here for the long term,” said…