How to Internet

March 6, 2019 12:31 PM

Xfinity has long been charging us an outrageous amount for a package that includes voice, cable and high-speed internet. We never use our landline any more and we want to drop cable as soon as Game of Thrones is over. What are our options for high-speed internet? We've had the Xfinity package for like 15 years.

I've never been able to figure out a straight answer on Xfinity's website regarding how much it would cost monthly for just high-speed internet. The internet portion of our current bill, is, I believe, only valid as part of the package. I don't want to call and talk to a person yet. Any idea what they charge on a normal monthly basis (not the "introductory rate")?

And what other options exist for actual, high-speed internet, for what I imagine is normal-to-slightly high data usage for a two-person family? We watch YouTube videos, surf the web a few hours most days, watch maybe 10-15 hours a week of TV shows on Amazon, Hulu and Netflix (my husband has us hooked up through one of the video game consoles, not sure how that works exactly.)

I would just like to have some idea what to look into, and what kind of a monthly cost we might be looking at. We're in the west suburbs of Chicago.

posted by Serene Empress Dork to Technology (10 answers total)

You should be able to pay $50-75 a month for just cable internet which is plenty fast for your needs, and you can always pay $15 a month for Internet only HBO. Go to comcast and try to signing up as a new person, they will figure out what your prices are.

Ideally you would cancel and have your spouse/sig other sign up for a plan to get new account deals.
posted by sandmanwv at 12:34 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

I’m sure this varies by locale, but I just did this in Pittsburgh, and the internet-only base bill was around $45. We’re going to end up paying around $65 instead to maintain the same speed we had with our previous package deal, but ymmv on how much a specific speed matters to you.

If you are willing to trade a drawn out process for not having to talk and get upsold on the phone, you can do this via the xfinity forum - if you post there, a customer service rep will DM you and can provide you with quotes for your various options, so you don’t have to make a decision on the spot.
posted by Stacey at 12:36 PM on March 6, 2019 [3 favorites]

I have standalone fiber internet with AT&T in North Carolina, the fastest speed. It's $80 a month. We have Google Fiber here in this area as well for the same price.

You can add HBO to your Amazon Prime account for $15 a month, if you don't want to put it off until the show is over. Everything available on demand, and all HBO's various channels live as well.
posted by something something at 12:37 PM on March 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

And don't worry about accepting an "introductory rate". When the two year period is up, call them and insist that the regular rate is too high for you to afford. They will offer you another two-year introductory rate if you are willing to commit for another two years of service. Easy peasy.
posted by DrGail at 12:38 PM on March 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

FWIW, the introductory rate is the real rate. I'm terrible at negotiating, but if I call and say my bill went up even entry level phone reps immediately offer discounts before I can ask. I didn't even have to sign a new contract.
posted by momus_window at 12:40 PM on March 6, 2019 [3 favorites]

I am in California with Xfinity internet only. I pay $50 a month and have fast service. (maybe 50mbps or better, can not remember off top of my head) No contract.
posted by jcworth at 12:54 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

You can't believe anything online with them. Go in and you'll get a deal. I did.
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 1:29 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

I have very fast internet (there are sometimes six of us streaming things at one time) and pay $95 per month. Technically I have the most basic level of cable, but I haven't even hooked up the box. They told me I get a cheaper rate for the high-tier internet if cable is included.

I suspect this is to make their subscriber base look bigger for advertisers...
posted by tacodave at 3:41 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

In the Seattle area we get Xfinity standalone Internet for $50/mo. We constantly run close to the 1TB monthly cap. I'm actually really happy with the service, except for the cap; it has been reliable and performs as expected, which I am reluctant to admit (this is Xfinity, after all). Most of our TV is via antenna, though we do subscribe to standard Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and CBS All Access, since we watch CBS more than any network and receive it worst of all over the air.
posted by lhauser at 10:41 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

I just looked into this and in my area it's about $50. But there was an intro special deal on internet only for $35 for a two-year contract ($75/month gotcha afterwards), and I bet if you had a 'new' account owner get that and request you could keep the intro deal longer.
posted by epanalepsis at 10:08 AM on March 7, 2019