Comcast today announced Xfinity Mobile By the Gig Shared Data, a new data plan designed as an alternative to existing unlimited and pay-per-gigabyte plans.
Xfinity Mobile now gives customers the option of one-click switching between Unlimited and By the Gig pricing plans, and also offers a ‘mix and match’ feature that lets customers mix Unlimited and By the Gig pricing on an account based on each family or group member’s individual needs. A ‘switch and save’ option enables customers to switch between By the Gig and Unlimited during a billing cycle.
According to the CTIA 2019 annual report, the average consumer uses 6.6 GB of cellular data per month, so most don’t need an unlimited data plan, Comcast notes. A majority of Xfinity Mobile customers today prefer to pay “by the gig.”
“We saw an opportunity to better serve groups of friends and families who don’t need Unlimited but want more than a pay per GB plan, so we’re introducing shared data options whereby the more data you purchase, the less you pay per gigabyte,” said Rui Costa, vice president of product management and customer experience for Xfinity Mobile, in a prepared statement. “It’s a natural evolution of our service that puts each individual in control of building the mobile data plan that works for them and then easily adjusting it with one click of the app – whether to switch data plans mid-billing cycle based on usage, or turn on HD to watch a show and then immediately turn it off to lower data consumption.”
The new data options and features include:
- By the Gig Shared Data – new customers paying per gigabyte on By the Gig can select a minimum amount of cellular data each month shared across all lines on an account. Customers can choose how much they need and share it with their family or across their group of friends – the more shared data a customer selects, the more they will save: 1 GB for $12; 3 GB for $30; and 10 GB for $60. In addition, video will stream in HD (720p on smartphones and up to 1080p on tablets) and personal hotspotting will be at LTE speeds on the new By the Gig data options.
- Data Saver – a new feature that will give customers who pay by the gig the ability to control their video resolution with one click. Customers can turn it on at any time by line even just to watch one show in HD, and then turn it off when they want to save – all for free directly from the Xfinity Mobile app.
- Value Passes – we’re introducing two value passes based on feedback from customers to meet their unique mobile needs:
Mexico & Canada Call Pass – $10 per month per line for unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada – ideal for those customers with friends or relatives in either country.
HD Pass – $20 per month per line for an upgrade to HD video resolution on Unlimited lines (720p on phone and 1080p on tablets) and to access faster speeds when the network is congested, such as during concerts and sporting events.
