[ad_1]
Have you heard about Xfinity Mobile lately? It’s Comcast’s own wireless service that comes as part of its bundles. Xfinity Mobile operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and uses Verizon’s network as well as millions of Comcast WiFi hotspots around the country. It’s similar to Google Fi, but Xfinity works on just one wireless network.
There are many questions regarding Xfinity Mobile such as its plan prices, what’s included, and whether it offers 5G. We will address all of these questions here, so you can get all the information you need about Xfinity Mobile.
What is Xfinity Mobile?
Xfinity Mobile is exactly what it sounds like. Comcast’s own mobile service. It is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) that runs on Verizon’s network. Xfinity Mobile was born out of a contract that Comcast had with Verizon, where it leased most of its spectrum to Verizon, and in turn, it was able to use Verizon’s network for this service.
Basically, Xfinity Mobile will work on your WiFi network when you’re at home. When you’re out of the house, it’ll either use the millions of Xfinity Mobile Hotspots around the country or connect to Verizon’s network. Since Verizon arguably has the best service in the country and the best coverage, that’s a good choice by Comcast. The Hotspots are available to every person who has Comcast in their home. Their router/gateway has a public network that anyone can connect to. This has caused a lot of people to get upset that random people can use their network and get free WiFi.
Keep in mind that because it is an MVNO, it may not get the best coverage or speeds from Verizon. Carriers do like to prioritize their postpaid customers, followed by their prepaid customers, and then MVNO customers after that. So if you live in an area that is very popular, you may end up getting deprioritized by Verizon and end up with slower speeds.
How much does it cost?
Comcast keeps its plans pretty simple. There are two plans: pay by the Gig or Unlimited.
This means that you can get service for your phone for as little as $15/month. That’s not bad at all.
Keep in mind that these monthly prices do not include taxes and fees. However, since this is an MVNO, the taxes, and fees will be pretty low. These are going to depend on your city and state, but you’ll likely be paying around $10 per month in taxes and fees. These are all dependent on your local government and not Comcast. So, no matter who you choose to use for your phone service, you will get charged these fees.
What plans are available?
There are essentially two types of plans available on Xfinity Mobile. There’s By the Gig and then Unlimited. Each of these has a few plans available.
Let’s start with By the Gig. These all include unlimited talk and text. You can get 1GB of data for $15/month, 3GB for $30/month, or 10GB for $60/month. You can easily adjust this as needed throughout the month, and this is shared with other devices on your account. So say if you have your grandparents on your account and you know they won’t use a lot of data, this might be the best option for them.
Then there’s Unlimited. So there’s Unlimited Intro, Unlimited Plus, and Unlimited Premium. With Unlimited Intro, you’re paying $45 per month for a single line or $30 per month for multiple lines. This will get you 20GB of high-speed data per line, unlimited mobile hotspot data at 3G speeds, and a standard resolution of 480p video. The next step up is Unlimited Plus, which is $55/month for a single line or $40/month for multiple lines. This plan comes with 30GB of premium data per line, 5GB of mobile hotspot data at 5G/4G speeds, and high-resolution 720p video.
Finally, there’s Unlimited Premium. This one will cost you $65/month for a single line, or $50/month for multiple lines. It offers up to 50GB of premium data per line, 15GB of mobile hotspot data at 5G/4G speeds, and 720p video. All three of these unlimited plans offer unlimited talk and text as well. These all have unlimited data, but the amount of high-speed data does vary.
Xfinity Mobile does let you mix and match on your account. So you can have one line on 1GB by the Gig, one on Unlimited Intro, one on Unlimited Plus, and the fourth one on Unlimited Premium, and it would only cost you $135 per month.
When are speeds reduced?
These days, “unlimited” doesn’t really mean unlimited. So when does Xfinity Mobile start to reduce speeds? According to its website, the speeds will be reduced to around 20GB. Your data may be temporarily slowed after 20GB, but this really depends on congestion in your area. A lot of the time when customers hit that 20GB threshold, data is not really slowed down. But that doesn’t mean you can go out of your way and use as much data as possible.
Do I need to be a Comcast customer?
Yes. You need to at least have Comcast Internet to be able to sign up for Xfinity Mobile. In fact, you have to have the Internet to use Xfinity Mobile, just cable or just a home phone won’t work.
That’s not a huge surprise, since it does use Comcast’s own Internet to help offset data prices. Hopefully, this will open up to more customers in the future.
But keep in mind that Comcast covers the majority of the US with Internet. So it is pretty likely that you do have Comcast for Internet already.
Is there 5G available?
Yes. 5G is available, thanks to Verizon. So you’ll be able to get Ultra Wideband 5G from Verizon if you have a compatible device. That includes some pretty incredible speeds; we’ve clocked over 2Gbps on Verizon’s mmWave network. But again, Xfinity Mobile will be lower on the tower than Verizon postpaid customers, so you may not see 2Gbps, but really, anything over 500Mbps is already incredible for a mobile device.
Do I need to sign a contract?
No. Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO, so there are no contracts involved. You can join and leave at any time.
Now, if you did finance your phone through Xfinity Mobile, you will owe the remaining balance when you leave. And if you got your phone at a discount, you will also forfeit those remaining bill credits. For instance, currently, the Moto G Play is available for $0/month and is regularly priced at $149.99. So you’d be getting a $6.24 bill credit each month. But if you leave Comcast after a year, you’ll forfeit around $75 in bill credits. Obviously, it’s not that big of a deal with the Moto G Play, but others, like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is $300 off right now, are a much bigger deal.
What devices does Xfinity Mobile support?
Xfinity Mobile allows you to bring your own phone, or you can purchase one from them. Basically, any unlocked Verizon phone will work on Xfinity Mobile. Since it first launched in 2017, Xfinity Mobile has greatly increased the devices available on its network, and it is very similar to Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile.
You’ll find the latest iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel devices available on Xfinity Mobile. As well as plenty of other phones. There are plenty of options available if you are looking to get a new phone, thankfully.
Xfinity Mobile has more than just the flagships, too. So, if you were looking for something a bit cheaper, Xfinity Mobile has you covered, too. With the Galaxy A54 5G, Galaxy A25 5G, Moto G stylus 5G, and a few other options too. So no matter your budget, they have you covered. Additionally, Xfinity Mobile also offers financing. So even if you don’t want to pay for the phone entirely today, you can spread it out over 24 months. at 0% APR.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up for Xfinity Mobile by clicking here. You’ll need to log in to your Comcast account first. Then, it’ll walk you through the signup process. This will include choosing your plan, as well as your phone – whether you’re bringing your own or buying one, and setting up autopay. Like a lot of MVNOs, Xfinity Mobile only uses autopay.
Is Xfinity Mobile worth it?
Now that a lot of us are working from home, potentially forever now that we know it works, Xfinity Mobile is going to work for a lot more people. It’s a really great option for those who are working from home or are in the office all day with WiFi, as you won’t be using much data. And if you use very little data, getting a phone plan for $15 per month is not too shabby.
Of course, this really only applies to those that have Xfinity Internet. If you don’t have Comcast as your Internet provider, then Xfinity Mobile is not even an option for you, unfortunately.
[ad_2]
Source link