Comcast's 'Unlimited' Mobile Plan Now Costs $20 Extra For HD Video

Xfinity Mobile's unlimited data plans now cost an extra $20 a month if you want to watch HD video. They cost $45 per line per month, but video streams are generally limited to 480p resolution. "Comcast yesterday announced a new $20-per-month HD Pass 'for an upgrade to HD video resolution on Unlimited lines (720p on phone and 1080p on tablets),'" reports Ars Technica. "That raises the monthly price to $65." From the report: Xfinity Mobile does offer cheaper options with HD video if you don't need unlimited data. Comcast said it now allows HD streaming on its limited plans, which cost $12 a month for 1GB, $30 for 3GB, and $60 for 10GB. Comcast charges $12 for each additional gigabyte if you go over your limit. Comcast also now offers a "Data Saver" feature to limited-plan customers, which turns off HD streaming in order to reduce data usage.

The new $20 HD pass doesn't lift the 1.5Mbps cap for unlimited customers who use more than 20GB, but Comcast says buying the pass does let users "access faster speeds when the network is congested, such as during concerts and sporting events." Basically, this means unlimited customers who pay $20 extra and use less than 20GB a month will get HD video and will not get slower speeds than limited-plan customers during network congestion. The various speed restrictions do not apply when your phone is connected to a Comcast Wi-Fi hotspot. There are millions of those around the country, and Xfinity Mobile phones can automatically connect to them when in range.

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[BarbaraHudson]

To answer your question, he's an incel. His name is Alexander Peter Kowalski, and he hasn't worked in 25 years.

When asked how he justified his existence, he claimed to be running his own business the last 10 or 12 years (he gave both dates). He has not been able to post a link to his mandatory government business registration.

That still leaves 13-15 years unaccounted for, as well as no proof for the last 12 years.

If you search the web, you'll discover he tried his hand at some really lame freeware i

Re:

[BarbaraHudson]

Everyone has known he's nuts since at least 2000. I have had 3 persistent stalkers online and a few in real life, but only the kook in California required police involvement at their employers request. It also involved others who were too intimidated to speak up. The police told me that he had been fired over it, so I told them that was good enough punishment and no need to press charges.

The way I see it, just being Alexander Peter Kowalski is punishment enough. He's angry at the world, but deep down he

Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO

[Anonymous Coward]

I just want to remind people that Comcast is piggy-backing on someone else's network (Verizon in this case).

Remember that if they ever get into arguments into opening up access to their network to last mile providers or virtual ISPs.

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[BarbaraHudson]

$2 a shot for insulin? No wonder they're coming to Canada to steal our insulin. $47.77 Canadian (- 37 USD) get 5 x 300 units (1500 units total) in pen cartridges. That's including the dispensing fee. That works out to less than $25 for a 1000 unit vial.

The other G7 countries with larger populations and universal health care pay even less. -

Note that dispensing fees aren't regulated for non-residents .

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[BarbaraHudson]

Alexander Peter Kowalski at his finest (which isn't saying much). Early retirement at a reduced pension at 60 - it's a legal right here. As for HRT, cost of estrogen is 34 cents a pill, not the $5 a pop that online stores charge people too stupid to see a doctor and get a prescription. Don't believe everything you read on the internet, fool. There's a reason so-called online pharmacies are banned here. They're a rip-off. Same as you trying to spam your Hosts File back in 2000 as $25 shareware, which got yo

Overpaid

[trolman]

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is paid $35 million or more per year. This is simple theft from a company that enjoys a monopoly in most markets.

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[pnutjam]

Notice that they don't give you an option to throttle HD on the paid access plans. That might actually be useful.

Do you need HD video on a phone screen?

[scourfish]

Is a phone screen large enough that the detail in an HD video is going to be noticeable?

Um ...

[fahrbot-bot]

Xfinity Mobile's unlimited data plans now cost an extra $20 a month if you want to watch HD video.

Can I have HD video with a 1/2 Unlimited data plan at no extra charge?
I mean, "unlimited" is unlimited, so how much data a video stream uses (SD vs. HD) should be irrelevant - right?

Here it is

[GameboyRMH]

The first major net neutrality violation of Ajit Pai's post-net-neutrality FCC. And now that one ISP's done it, there will probably be a dam-break effect with other ISPs following thick and fast.

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[TFlan91]

Mobile carriers have been playing fast and loose with traffic prioritization for quite some time.

This is the first I've seen them blatantly monetize it though.

Re:

[_Sharp'r_]

Umm... limited resolution is a "feature" of most phone carrier's "unlimited" plans, and has been for a while. Prior to this announcement, Xfinity Mobile's unlimited plan already limited customers to 480p by contract. This just gives them an option for a more expensive plan which includes higher resolution at $65.

If you don't like that, go buy from someone else [theverge.com]. Xfinity uses the Verizon network, for which you can pay Verizon directly $95 for unlimited 1080p streaming, or $75 limited to 480p. Hmmm, that $20 g

Comcase phone UNL phone plan is now +$20

[grep -v '.*' *]

Comcast: What's the problem? It was unlimited, this one is unlimited as well -- this one just has bigger bits, which of course cost more to store and ship.