Give up Fiber Internet for Free Xfinity?

[purdnost]

My new job offers me free Xfinity “Superfast” (600Mbps) internet as well as cable TV. I would pay $26/mo for a couple of add-ons: HD TV steaming, and leasing the xFi modem/router, which gets upgraded to the latest technology every three years.

I currently have 250Mbps down/up fiber to the home. The download speed bump would be welcome, and while Xfinity’s upload speed is only 20Mbps, I don’t find that I need fast upload speeds.

With my current fiber internet, I’ve never experienced any outages, noticeable latency, or packet loss.

I stand to save $55/mo by “downgrading” to cable.

My family streams HD content to several devices regularly, and I work fully from home with virtual meetings throughout the day. Connection reliability is important.

Switching to Xfinity seems like the no-brainer choice, considering the cost savings. Thoughts?

 

[Juicy Box]

Thoughts?

I don’t find that I need fast upload speeds.

If there was an issue, the upload speed would be it. But since 20Mbps would be good for your, there is little reason not to go for it.

BTW, Comcast over provisions their speeds by 20%, meaning you will most likely see download speeds over 700Mbps and upload speeds up to 24Mbps.

With my current fiber internet, I’ve never experienced any outages, noticeable latency, or packet loss.

I used to switch back and forth between FiOS and Xfinity for internet for over a decade. Usually switching at least once or twice a year, always getting the customer rate. I would never play more than $40 a month for internet, and sometimes as low as $29 a month.

Normally, I wouldn't notice any difference between cable and fiber. Both worked great, no slow downs, and no outages. Latency was actually slightly better with cable.

If there was problem, it was almost always due to a damaged line. I lived in a town home at the time, and whenever there was utility work, both FiOS and Comcast's line would sometimes get damaged. It happened so often that they started using conduit to run the fiber and cable lines.

Eventually, FiOS got smart and offered a low rate for life deal, giving me a 200Mbps speed for only $35 with no rate increases, so I stopped switching. They also over provision sometimes, and I was getting 310Mbps down and 350Mbps up for the 200Mbps rate.

Sadly, when I bought my current single family home, I only had Comcast as an option. The reliability of the internet sucks. It is amazing how much different Comcast is when there is competition for them.

 

[velocityg4]

You aren't likely to notice a difference in browsing speed. Maybe some large downloads. Uploads might be more noticeable.

My biggest concern would be data usage. If you do a lot of streaming. You might get hit by overages. Unless you get the unlimited data plan.

 

[purdnost]

I feel like the slower upload speed may only be noticeable when syncing photos and videos to the cloud after a big trip (which is set to occur over Wi-Fi only).

You raise a good point about data caps. With my fiber, there are no caps. With Xfinity, I can bypass he caps by leasing the xFi Gateway modem/router at a 20% off rate. So, I’m essentially paying $20/mo for 600Mbps internet. Typically, I don’t like leasing equipment when I can but my own for major cost savings in the long run, but in this scenario, I’m getting a great deal.

 

[Juicy Box]

My biggest concern would be data usage.

You raise a good point about data caps.

I forgot about the data caps. I don't (currently) have a data cap in my area with Xfinity, and every time they say that they will start enforcing the 1.2TB data cap, they delay it.

If you live in the northeast area of the country, that area doesn't currently have a data cap. I suspect that it might have to do with the large amount of competition that is in the area, or the fact that if people in the DC and surrounding areas started getting larger bills, this might upset some people in power.

That said, the 1.2TB data cap that Xfinity is enforcing in their other areas wouldn't be an issue for some. I don't believe them when they say 95% of their customers will never go beyond the data cap, I think it is bull. But for some homes, 1.2TB would be fine.

My family is large and streams a lot, so if you are just yourself, or a small family you may not be impacted.

I checked the last 6 months for me, and and 4 of the 6 months, I went over:
December 1664 GB
January 1339 GB
March 1212 GB
April. 1243 GB

I am on track for going over for June, probably 1373 GB based on my current usage for the month.


But again, my family is large and we stream a lot.

If you can see what you current monthly usage is with your current ISP, that can help you determine if data caps will impact you if you switch.

Either way, it sounds like even with data caps you will be paying less for cable. Sounds like it would be worth it.

 

[purdnost]

I forgot about the data caps. I don't (currently) have a data cap in my area with Xfinity, and every time they say that they will start enforcing the 1.2TB data cap, they delay it.

If you live in the northeast area of the country, that area doesn't currently have a data cap. I suspect that it might have to do with the large amount of competition that is in the area, or the fact that if people in the DC and surrounding areas started getting larger bills, this might upset some people in power.

That said, the 1.2TB data cap that Xfinity is enforcing in their other areas wouldn't be an issue for some. I don't believe them when they say 95% of their customers will never go beyond the data cap, I think it is bull. But for some homes, 1.2TB would be fine.

My family is large and streams a lot, so if you are just yourself, or a small family you may not be impacted.

I checked the last 6 months for me, and and 4 of the 6 months, I went over:
December 1664 GB
January 1339 GB
March 1212 GB
April. 1243 GB

I am on track for going over for June, probably 1373 GB based on my current usage for the month.


But again, my family is large and we stream a lot.

If you can see what you current monthly usage is with your current ISP, that can help you determine if data caps will impact you if you switch.

Either way, it sounds like even with data caps you will be paying less for cable. Sounds like it would be worth it.

Unfortunately, upon checking my router portal, I would have to enable traffic monitoring to determine how much we’re using. We have two kids who stream video content throughout the day on their iPads, as well as basement tenants who do streaming of their own, and we all stream HD content on our TVs nightly. That said, would you say it’s safe to say that we’re exceeding the data cap, which would warrant the unlimited data that we get with xFi?

 

[chown33]

You might want to talk to your neighbors about Xfinity reliability. If it's fair to poor, then I wouldn't take the chance, not for something that's vital to one's business.

When you ask about reliability, I'd also ask the neighbots about the speed of any repair service. If Xfinity can turn repairs around quickly, then as long as it's not going down too often, the lower reliability might be worth enduring.

 

[chikorita157]

While it seems like a good offer, I wouldn't recommend it. Compared to Fiber, cable internet has a slower upload speed. Also, Comcast doesn't say they won't reimplement the data caps in 2023.

Comcast delays data caps in Northeast US for at least another year

Most Comcast customers are still capped, but Northeast states get another reprieve.

arstechnica.com

I thought about going to Comcast when I moved into my Townhome in 2020 since Verizon messed up the install appointment two times and I had to complain to get them to expedite the installation. But it's worth sticking with FiOS as I never had any issues. I have a 1 GB Internet connection since I run home servers and it makes the Backblaze backups go quicker. There is really no point of switching since the price stays the same, which I pay $79 for and I don't really watch any cable TV. My parents pay $179 for Optimum for Cable TV and Internet, and their internet is much slower at 200 Mbps download and 60 Mbps uploads.

 

[max2]

While it seems like a good offer, I wouldn't recommend it. Compared to Fiber, cable internet has a slower upload speed. Also, Comcast doesn't say they won't reimplement the data caps in 2023.

Comcast delays data caps in Northeast US for at least another year

Most Comcast customers are still capped, but Northeast states get another reprieve.

arstechnica.com

I thought about going to Comcast when I moved into my Townhome in 2020 since Verizon messed up the install appointment two times and I had to complain to get them to expedite the installation. But it's worth sticking with FiOS as I never had any issues. I have a 1 GB Internet connection since I run home servers and it makes the Backblaze backups go quicker. There is really no point of switching since the price stays the same, which I pay $79 for and I don't really watch any cable TV. My parents pay $179 for Optimum for Cable TV and Internet, and their internet is much slower at 200 Mbps download and 60 Mbps uploads.

I remember Optimum Online they use to be the leaders of speed increases and offering the fastest speeds than any other ISP.

All that changed once Fiber came out!

I wonder what year the first Home Fiber internet was installed ? Hmm

 

[Juicy Box]

That said, would you say it’s safe to say that we’re exceeding the data cap, which would warrant the unlimited data that we get with xFi?

we all stream HD content on our TVs nightly.

If it is 1080p streams or below, you probably will not go over the data caps, even with multiple TVs going at the same time. If it is 4k on one TV, still, you probably won't hit that 1.2TB limit.

But, if you have multiple 4K streams, you might.

If it is just Netflix, their 4K streams are less than most other services. They use variable bitrate encodes, which they say could drop to single digit speeds for most movie scenes, and up to 17.5Mbps for ones with high action.

Other streaming services don't do this, and can use up to almost 60Mbps (ATV+) for certain streams.

Compared to Fiber, cable internet has a slower upload speed.

This is a concern for me, which is the only reason I am currently paying or Xfinity Gigabit service, versus a 200Mbps service. Gigabit is overkill for me, by far, but I need the higher upload speed.

But, the OP said that the slower upload speed isn't important to them, so this shouldn't really be a reason not to take the deal.

Also, Comcast doesn't say they won't reimplement the data caps in 2023.

It is 2022, they didn't say one way or another if they will do it in 2023, but still good news for now.

Sucks for all the Comcast customers that are not in the northeast, though. No one in power seems to be interested in helping them.

60 Mbps uploads.

This is actually really good for Cable. I would love to have 60Mbps.

You might want to talk to your neighbors about Xfinity reliability.

Not a bad idea.

OP, in addition to asking around, you could keep your Fiber ISP while trying the Cable internet.

If you are getting the cable for free anyways, might as well try it, and keep your Fiber service active, just use the Xfinity service to see if it is reliable and works for your.

If it ends up being problematic, just cancel it. If it seems okay, drop the Fiber service.

What state do you live in?

According to the article that @chikorita157 posted, these are the states that do not currently have a data cap with Xfinity:
"The un-capped Comcast areas are in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and parts of North Carolina and Ohio."

 

[KaliYoni]

leasing the xFi modem/router

Something to keep in mind when not using your own modem with Comcast: the modem-router it rents to you provides public Wi-Fi access to the Comcast network via your connection. This may affect the bandwidth available to you and/or have security implications for your own devices and local network.

 

[jav6454]

My new job offers me free Xfinity “Superfast” (600Mbps) internet as well as cable TV. I would pay $26/mo for a couple of add-ons: HD TV steaming, and leasing the xFi modem/router, which gets upgraded to the latest technology every three years.

I currently have 250Mbps down/up fiber to the home. The download speed bump would be welcome, and while Xfinity’s upload speed is only 20Mbps, I don’t find that I need fast upload speeds.

With my current fiber internet, I’ve never experienced any outages, noticeable latency, or packet loss.

I stand to save $55/mo by “downgrading” to cable.

My family streams HD content to several devices regularly, and I work fully from home with virtual meetings throughout the day. Connection reliability is important.

Switching to Xfinity seems like the no-brainer choice, considering the cost savings. Thoughts?

If it ain't broken don't fix it. In other words, stick to what you have. Furthermore, at 250 Mb/s, you'll find that there is little benefit from gaining an extra 350 Mb/s unless you work downloading extremely heavy files.

 

[velocityg4]

Unfortunately, upon checking my router portal, I would have to enable traffic monitoring to determine how much we’re using. We have two kids who stream video content throughout the day on their iPads, as well as basement tenants who do streaming of their own, and we all stream HD content on our TVs nightly. That said, would you say it’s safe to say that we’re exceeding the data cap, which would warrant the unlimited data that we get with xFi?

Outside of monitoring network activity on your specific streaming services. To figure out an hourly average. The average I found is 1.5GB/hr for HD video and 7GB for 4K. Since you may be streaming a mix of these. Let's settle on 2GB hour.

You'd get around 614 hours of video before you hit your limit. That's 20.5 hours per day. Divide that by the number of people. I count at least five people from your post. So, that's about four hours per person per day. Not to mention usage from downloading games, cloud syncs, web browsing, game streaming and so forth. Which will eat into that.

Something to keep in mind when not using your own modem with Comcast: the modem-router it rents to you provides public Wi-Fi access to the Comcast network via your connection. This may affect the bandwidth available to you and/or have security implications for your own devices and local network.

Last I checked you can turn that off. Although, I think they dropped the setting from their routers. Making it a laborious process of going into your account. Disabling it there. Then they update your router.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

My new job offers me free Xfinity “Superfast” (600Mbps) internet as well as cable TV. I would pay $26/mo for a couple of add-ons: HD TV steaming, and leasing the xFi modem/router, which gets upgraded to the latest technology every three years.

I currently have 250Mbps down/up fiber to the home. The download speed bump would be welcome, and while Xfinity’s upload speed is only 20Mbps, I don’t find that I need fast upload speeds.

With my current fiber internet, I’ve never experienced any outages, noticeable latency, or packet loss.

I stand to save $55/mo by “downgrading” to cable.

My family streams HD content to several devices regularly, and I work fully from home with virtual meetings throughout the day. Connection reliability is important.

Switching to Xfinity seems like the no-brainer choice, considering the cost savings. Thoughts?

Doesn't Xfinity have data cap limits? If you know you won't go past your cap, then it might be worth to switch but I have unlimited Data with my AT&T fiber and it's been great. I don't even have to worry about it, considering I stream everything.

 

[jav6454]

Doesn't Xfinity have data cap limits? If you know you won't go past your cap, then it might be worth to switch but I have unlimited Data with my AT&T fiber and it's been great. I don't even have to worry about it, considering I stream everything.

What was the average cost of data caps? 50GB per $10?

 

[sjsharksfan12]

What was the average cost of data caps? 50GB per $10?

It's been several years since I had Xfinity but yeah it was something like that. Don't really want to pay that if I don't have to.

 

[jav6454]

It's been several years since I had Xfinity but yeah it was something like that. Don't really want to pay that if I don't have to.

I stick to Google Fiber. Luckily where I have lived and moved to has been an area of service of them.

 

[Juicy Box]

What was the average cost of data caps? 50GB per $10?

For the areas that Comcast enforces their data cap, it is $10 per every 50GB over, up to $100 in a billing cycle.

Or, it is an extra $30 a month to remove the data cap for unlimited data.

Comcast claims that 95% of their subscriber base doesn't use more the 1.2TB of data a month, but I find this figure to be very suspicious.

 

[jav6454]

For the areas that Comcast enforces their data cap, it is $10 per every 50GB over, up to $100 in a billing cycle.

Or, it is an extra $30 a month to remove the data cap for unlimited data.

Comcast claims that 95% of their subscriber base doesn't use more the 1.2TB of data a month, but I find this figure to be very suspicious.

1.2 TB of data? Are they high?

 

[pshufd]

I had 5 mbps upload for about 10 years and it was fine for us. They gave us a free uptrade to 10 mbps in the past year. I haven't noticed any difference. Unless you regularly upload large files it's probably not a big deal.

 

[jav6454]

I had 5 mbps upload for about 10 years and it was fine for us. They gave us a free uptrade to 10 mbps in the past year. I haven't noticed any difference. Unless you regularly upload large files it's probably not a big deal.

That's cause the people who need upload speeds are people uploading content almost daily.

 

[pshufd]

That's cause the people who need upload speeds are people uploading content almost daily.

I've uploaded videos and it takes a while though I could just bring my laptop to the gym if I needed to do it on a daily basis.

 

[Juicy Box]

1.2 TB of data? Are they high?

No, they do it because they can.

With Comcast being an oligopoly in most areas that it services, there is little incentive for them lower prices, remove data caps, or improve their infrastructure.

I generally am not for more government regulation, but I think ISPs should be regulated, considering they are more of a utility than just entertainment now.

 

[jav6454]

No, they do it because they can.

With Comcast being an oligopoly in most areas that it services, there is little incentive for them lower prices, remove data caps, or improve their infrastructure.

I generally am not for more government regulation, but I think ISPs should be regulated, considering they are more of a utility than just entertainment now.

That's a sentiment the average person can agree to; however, politicians are more preoccupied with other things than to care about us.

 

[TheIntruder]

Comcast claims that 95% of their subscriber base doesn't use more the 1.2TB of data a month, but I find this figure to be very suspicious.

How does one know when Comcast is lying? When they speak and their lips are moving.

I've never had their internet service, but for years was a cable TV customer. SOP when dealing with them with regard to an unknown policy or other question was to call at least twice, and poll more than one rep. If they concurred, one could be reasonably confident their answers reflected the true policy. If they did not…time for raised brows and more pointed questioning to get to the real truth.

Unfortunately, the lack of competition in many areas means that the members of the Telco Cartel don't have to care, and people are stuck with choosing between evils and picking what is hopefully the lesser of the choices…if more than one even exists. That corporate culture runs deep and wide.

The industry's political lobbying efforts and financial contributions ensures that that status quo is maintained, if not enhanced when a ripe, often hypocritical, political member can be found to push forth legislation designed to stifle any signs of potential competition.