Does Xfinity have unlimited data usage?
Is Xfinity Data Connection Unlimited?
Xfinity is the trademark of Comcast, which is the largest cable and high speed internet company in the United States. As a leading cable television and telecommunications firm in the United States which serves millions of customers, there has been a question whether xfinity has unlimited home internet data. However, the answer to the question is a straightforward negative – Xfinity does not offer truly ‘unlimited’ data for home internet users. But they do have plans which will provide you with 1. 2 TB + data usage every month and if more is required, then you can always buy it.
What is Data Usage?
If you have internet at your home through your cable modem and WiFi router, you utilize a specific amount of data. Surfing the internet, watching videos, downloading songs – all of that cuts into your monthly data plan. Exceeding the amount set in your plan for the use of the data may lead to other charges or even slower connection speed.
The question that arises from the above findings is; why do cable companies not offer their customers unlimited data?
For instance, for a cable internet providers such as Xfinity TV Packages, providing an unlimited data to millions of its consumers all of whom are streaming 4K videos, gaming and so on at once put a very big pressure on their networks. The support for that would call for additional investments on the physical facilities to increase capacity.
Also, it is important to note that cable internet business model is built around the fact that the majority of the consumers does not require an unlimited amount of data. Extra charges for the use of more than the subscribed data bundle or subscription to a higher plan is a major form of revenue. So, at the present time, ‘real’ unlimited data is still out of reach for cable internet customers.
Xfinity Internet: Packages & Prices
Xfinity uses data capping and restrictive fees on all home internet subscribers. The size of your monthly data allowance depends on your speed tier:The size of your monthly data allowance depends on your speed tier:
- Performance Starter – 1TB daily usage and 1. 2TB monthly allowance.
- Performance – The bandwidth for each house was established at 1. 2 Terabytes per day.
- Performance Pro - Data usage allowance 600GB per month
- Blast – 1. 2TB data allowed
- Extreme Pro – data usage limit 1. 2 TB
- Gigabit – 1. 2TB monthly data allowance
Once you go over 50GB in a month, Xfinity will round up the usage to the nearest 50GB and the cost is $10 per 50GB with a cap of $100 per billing period.
And you cannot get any phone with an unlimited data plan. However, Xfinity has the Unlimited Data Option available at $30 more per month than the base package. Including this will delete data overage charges if 1. 2TB is surpassed but it will not guarantee limitless speedy data.
Well, if you thought that reaching the 1. 2TB data cap means the end of all the fun then allow me to enlighten you about what happens next.
When you go through the 1. 2TB monthly allowance in your Xfinity plan, the company provides what it calls a courtesy month which is an additional 50GB use at no overage fee. When you exceed the courtesy allotment, the rate increases to $10 per 50GB as has been highlighted above.
Once you exhaust your monthly data allowance of 1. 5 TB (the 50GB being the free bonus), your internet speed will be throttled for the rest of the billing period. This speed reduction is quite apparent and makes most of the online activities rather inconvenient.
The fair usage limit for basic $50 plan is monthly usage of 1. 2TB; if you go beyond this amount the speed might be reduced; therefore, for $30 the Unlimited Data Option should be taken. For extremely data-oriented households who already consume over 2TB monthly, transitioning to a better speed tier will offer more data allowance before the risk of slowing down.
Therefore, the XFi Complete Package should be added in order to achieve the desired outcome of improving performance and provide subscribers with the best experience possible.
For consumers who wish to have more data, there is the XFi Complete plan which costs $25 per month. This combines the Unlimited Data Option to wipe out overages with the unlimited mobile hotspot, better control and security over WiFi, and other tools.
For those people who consume data that is close to 1. 2 TB or more on a monthly basis, XFi Complete can offer users unlimited high-speed data and even mobil hotspot in one all-inclusive fee. It, in general, offers unlimited possibilities to the existing Internet package.
Which are the ways that one can implement to help minimize data usage?
If you find yourself constantly butting up against your Xfinity data cap each billing cycle, there are ways to curb usage and avoid overages:If you find yourself constantly butting up against your Xfinity data cap each billing cycle, there are ways to curb usage and avoid overages:
- Connected devices should have Data Saver mode enabled to reduce unnecessary usage while on the Internet.
- Change video streaming quality to Standart instead of HD or 4000p
- To transfer files, download application updates or install new apps, try to use public WiFi.
- Plug in devices such as computers and routers using Ethernet cable instead of the wireless connection.
- Turn off auto backs of pictures to cloud services as well as backing them up manually via a public WiFi once a month
- This ensures that updates for applications to only download and install via Wi-Fi connection only.
- Reduce instances when you engage in online gaming, and big file downloads when not at home using WiFi.
Of course, there are no infinite amounts of data, but Xfinity offers more than enough for most families to browse with. However, there are other users who have multiple members using the internet heavily especially in streaming high definition videos and such users can easily go over the caps set. It is possible to simplify some changes in the behavior regarding using the Internet which will allow light data users minimize the risk of getting an unexpected amount of over the limit fees.
The Possibilities that come with the unlimited data of the future
The availability of unlimited data among cable providers remains limited at the moment, though better network technologies such as DOCSIS 4. 0 suggest that the usage of unlimited data may become much more prevalent in the future. For now, it is recommended to track your usage using your Xfinity account tools for navigation.
Currently, there are few ways to increase your data on Xfinity – by signing up for the Unlimited Data Option plan, paying for additional data fees or by upgrading to a higher data speed plan. You also want to find an Internet provider with unlimited data and again be careful because many DSL and fiber optic providers have also adopted this policy. To date, genuinely unlimited fast internet connection remains a dream for the majority of home broadband customers. However, in the longer run, the changes in the market may put pressure to change across the cable industry, particularly in regards to the unmetered internet.
Call us today at +1 844-345-0888 to discover the best Xfinity plans tailored for you! Don’t miss out on fast internet, great TV options, and unbeatable customer service. Get started now!
