Comcast’s new wireless plan: What it means — and is it worth it to try
Add one more player to the wireless market. Well, sort of.
On Thursday, Comcast shared the first details of its wireless service, called Xfinity Mobile. It will launch during the middle of this year and will take advantage of Verizon Wireless’ network.
WHO IS THIS FOR? Xfinity, or Comcast, customers only. At minimum, you are eligible if you have an Xfinity Internet package — a Comcast cable TV package without home Internet won’t cut it.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? For unlimited data, it’s $65 a month per line if you have Xfinity Internet, or $45 if you have one of the top-tier X1 video packages, typically starting around $150. Consumers can get up to five lines under that pricing. There’s also a by-thegig option, where you can pay for a finite amount of data every month. It’s $12 a gigabyte per account, and you’ll only pay for what you use.
SHOULD I SWITCH? Let’s start with those consumers who have Xfinity service. It all depends on your plan, your Xfinity service, and how easy it is to move your phone over if you choose to do so. For a family of four, Verizon’s unlimited plan costs $180, the same as Xfinity Mobile if you have one of the top Xfinity video packages. If you have a lower broadband plan, it will cost well above $200. However, if you want a wireless plan with very little data, this could work. On Xfinity, a 2GB plan would cost $24, but on Verizon it costs $35.
If you’re not a current Xfinity customer? Unless you really like Comcast, and want your cable, Internet and smartphones under the Xfinity umbrella, you’ll be just fine with what you have.
WHY DO THIS? It’s possible Comcast is testing whether to make a bigger jump into the wireless market, perhaps even as far as buying a carrier like T-Mobile or Sprint. Rival DirecTV was acquired by AT&T, while Verizon boasts services like FiOS along with its wireless offering. “They are trying to learn and then decide what to do,” says Roger Entner of Recon Analytics.