Comcast Xfinity customers will experience faster internet speeds for free this week as the Philadelphia-based telecommunications giant rolls out automatic upgrades.
Emily Waldorf, senior vice president of consumer internet services, said the move is the latest in a series of periodic speed increases Comcast has implemented over the years to keep up with growing usage.
Some customers will see home WiFi automatically take effect. Others will need to upgrade their routers to models compatible with higher speeds.
Comcast had about 30 million residential broadband customers as of the end of 2023, according to its latest earnings report. The company declined to say how many customers in the region have already upgraded and how many will need new equipment to make the upgrade happen.
Here’s what else to know:
How much will my Comcast Xfinity internet speed change?
Download speeds for these tier plans will increase as follows:
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connect (Starting at $25/mo): 75Mbps to 150Mbps
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Connect more (Starting at $35): 200Mbps to 300Mbps
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quickly (Starting at $45): 400Mbps to 500Mbps
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Xfinity Prepaid ($45 for first 30 days, no contract): 50Mbps to 200Mbps
Comcast’s marketing only focuses on download speeds, but spokesperson Jennifer Bilotta said upload speeds on all plans will increase from 10Mbps to 20Mbps. However, she added, “most customer activity is still focused on download speeds.”
James Willcox, senior electronics editor at Consumer Reports, said upload speeds have become increasingly important to consumers in recent years as more of them work from home. .
When you participate in a Zoom call, post on social media, or play video games, you upload data. Experts recommend a minimum upload speed of 10Mbps for most homes.
Will I notice an upgrade to my Comcast Xfinity Internet?
it depends.
Users of Connect and Prepaid plans will likely notice the biggest increase, with speeds jumping to 150Mbps and 200Mbps on these plans. Cord-cutters may see a clearer picture the next time they watch their favorite shows, as most streaming services automatically adjust picture quality based on internet speed.
“For most people, it’s probably not a huge difference,” Wilcox said. “200Mbps is probably enough for most homes.”
» Learn more: How to improve your home WiFi without calling customer service, says Comcast expert
How do I know if my router can handle faster speeds?
People who connect to the internet via a direct wired connection will automatically experience faster speeds.
But “most people are connecting via WiFi, not Ethernet cables or wires,” Wilcox said. “Your wireless home router and network need to be able to support” faster speeds.
If the Xfinity modem router (called a “gateway”) you rent can’t support the new speeds, the company will email you to ask if you want to upgrade the device for free (you’ll need to return the old device).
If you have your own router, you can Google what the device does or go to speedtest.net to see your upload and download speeds.
How easy is it to upgrade the Xfinity Gateway if needed?
Funny you should ask.
I’ll have to upgrade my gateway to get the new download speeds, but am wary of replacing my device since I’ve had no luck with WiFi in the past. Every time I move I have setup issues that require a technician to come out and fix them. So, for a few days I even put off opening the Xfinity package with my new gateway.
But this time the device swap is actually Very seamless and took me about 15 minutes.
You have to disconnect your old device before you can plug in and activate your new one, which leaves your device temporarily unavailable to WiFi during the setup process. I don’t have the strongest cell service in my apartment, so getting the Xfinity app’s Activation Assistant up and running was the hardest part.
I also initially forgot that I changed my account password in December, when all Xfinity customers were prompted to do so, which delayed me for a few minutes. I recommend that you log in and load the application’s activation tool before you begin.
At the end of the process, I learned that I could keep my WiFi network name and password, which meant I didn’t need to manually reconnect my TV, phone, and laptop to the new network.
Within minutes of switching, my maximum download speed increased by more than 100 Mbps, jumping from 480 Mbps to 591 Mbps, while my upload speed stayed around 24 Mbps, according to speedtest.net.
Why is Comcast Xfinity upgrading internet speeds now?
Spokesperson Bilotta said they “regularly upgrade speeds to stay well ahead of customer demands for bandwidth and provide more value to their services.”
The federal Affordable Connectivity program, which provides low-income customers with a $30-a-month home internet subsidy, is also likely to run out of money next month unless Congress takes action. If that happens, some 23 million U.S. households may no longer be able to afford internet, deepening the digital divide.
“The speed increases introduced today will help ensure that those who may be affected by the end of ACP will continue to have access to fast, affordable, reliable internet options,” Comcast said in a statement Wednesday. For those who cannot afford their current plan, please call the company at 1-800-934-6489 to discuss alternatives.
» Read more: People in rural Pennsylvania desperately need internet. Biden’s infrastructure bill could help.
“I think it’s really important that the cable companies that are offering budget plans get those plans up to speed because if the funding expires, a lot of people are going to be in trouble,” Wilcox said.
This upgrade is a win-win for Comcast and its customers.
“Cable companies are taking a hit,” Wilcox said. “Their real business model now is not television, but the Internet.”
“It’s both a good public relations message,” he added, “and a practical reality, and it’s a way for them to retain customers.”
How does Verizon Fios Internet compare to Comcast Xfinity?
As of 2022, Verizon Fios’s two base plans offer speeds of 300Mbps and 500Mbps, according to spokesman Christopher Serico. These plans start at a higher price than Xfinity’s, unless you’re already a Verizon mobile customer. If so, the 300Mbps plan is about $10 per month cheaper than Xfinity’s plan at the same speed, and the 500Mbps plan is about the same price.
One benefit of fiber optic internet like Verizon is that it has symmetrical speeds, meaning download and upload data speeds are 300 and 500Mbps respectively.
What internet speed do I really need?
The FCC defines broadband as download speeds of at least 25Mbps and upload speeds of at least 3Mbps, but experts recommend that most households with multiple devices, including everything from smartphones and laptops to smart thermostats and doorbells, opt for it Higher speed. Willcox said he recommends 50Mbps download speeds as a “minimum minimum.”
If you do a lot of 4K or HD streaming, make a lot of video calls, or have someone in your family who is a gamer, you’ll probably want a faster plan (if you can afford it). If you still have cable TV and don’t do much streaming and just casually browse the internet on a few devices, you might be able to save on a lower-tier plan. Consumer Reports has a handy “How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?” calculator on its website.