Comcast’s new larger add speeds require $25-per-month xFi Full add-on | Acumen Tech

For Comcast Web clients pissed off by sluggish cable loading speeds, there have been some welcome bulletins lately. However the availability of quicker Comcast uploads has an issue: Customers can solely get larger add speeds by buying xFi Full, which provides $25 to month-to-month broadband prices.

“As markets launch, Xfinity Web clients who subscribe to xFi Full will see their add speeds improve 5-10 occasions quicker,” stated an announcement final week. “xFi Full consists of an xFi Gateway, superior cybersecurity safety at dwelling and on the go, automated tech upgrades for a brand new gateway after three years, and wall-to-wall Wi-Fi protection with an xFi Pod. [Wi-Fi extender] included if advisable. Now one other good thing about xFi Full is quicker add speeds.”

Comcast will roll out the pace replace within the Northeast US within the coming months. Plans with 10 Mbps add speeds will get add speeds of as much as 100 Mbps as soon as the brand new tiers roll out in your area, when you pay for xFi Full. Comcast informed Ars that quicker add speeds will come to customer-owned modems “later subsequent yr,” however didn’t present a extra particular timeline.

There’s a cheaper technique to get the identical xFi Gateway with Wi-Fi 6E, as Comcast provides the choice to lease that {hardware} for $14 a month. However Comcast solely makes the add enhance out there to those that subscribe to the dearer xFi Full service.

Whereas xFi Full’s normal month-to-month charge is $25, new clients who join earlier than December 31 can get it for $20 per 30 days for his or her first yr of service.

Comcast obscure about time for user-owned {hardware}

We requested Comcast right this moment if there are any technical the explanation why it could possibly’t supply the best add speeds on customer-owned tools. An organization spokesperson responded that Comcast is working to hurry up uploads to non-Comcast modems.

“We intend to roll out the expertise to customer-owned modems by the top of subsequent yr and are engaged on technical necessities as we study,” Comcast stated. “We began providing it first with our personal tools and now we’re engaged on tips on how to prolong it to customer-owned tools.”

Comcast additionally stated that giving xFi Full clients the charging enhance first follows their “typical validation, testing, and certification course of for a brand new community innovation.” But when the explanations for limiting the add enhance to Comcast’s {hardware} initially are purely technical slightly than revenue-based, it isn’t clear why individuals who lease the gateway for $14 a month should not get the identical profit. .

Comcast has additionally been teasing Full Duplex upgrades which are supposed to supply symmetrical add and obtain speeds over the cable. Comcast says it is going to supply multi-gigabit obtain and add speeds to at the very least some cable clients “earlier than the top of 2023.” It will not be shocking if these updates require a subscription to xFi Full.