***UPDATED 04/28/2020 - Updates to initiatives***
***UPDATED 03/26/2020 - Added additional FAQs***
COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Across Comcast, NBCUniversal, and Sky, we are working hard to do everything we can to support our customers, employees, and communities during this unprecedented time.
Initiatives
For an current overview of everything we are doing for our Xfinity customers, click here.
Our hearts go out to all people and families impacted by this virus. Please let us know if you have any questions related to these efforts here.
Open Hotspots Frequently Asked Questions
What hotspots are included?
Xfinity WiFi hotspots located both indoors and outdoors in places like shopping districts, parks, businesses, and train stations will be opened. Please note that hotspots located in customers’ homes will not be opened to the public.
If users do not see the Accept & Connect button and are instead asked to sign in using their Xfinity ID and/or password, they may be attempting to access an Xfinity WiFi Home hotspot. Exact hotspot locations can be found at xfinity.com/wifi/#find-a-hotspot or using the Xfinity WiFi app.
Does the free access apply to both customers and non-customers?
Yes, anyone in proximity to an Xfinity WiFi hotspot can access them.
How does someone connect to the Xfinity WiFi hotspot?
Additional Frequently Asked Questions
How can I reach Xfinity for help with my services?
Xfinity help is always available on your smartphone, in X1, and online. For certain issues, you can even file a report online.
To protect the health and safety of our customers and employees, we have temporarily reduced the services available in stores to essential services and are limiting the in-home services provided by our technicians. We are also transitioning many of our call center representatives to work from home.
For now, we recommend managing your services, paying your bill, troubleshooting, or receiving support by using:
How can I find out if there's an outage or service interruption happening near me?
There can be a number of reasons why we might experience a network event, including weather and local construction. We have teams who work around the clock locally and nationally to monitor our network and address any issues, many times before they impact our customers. To check for local outages, visit the Outage Status Center. To see the status of your home network and services, sign into My Account. And you can report an issue online if you are concerned about wires in your area.
How can Xfinity help low-income Americans with affordable Internet service?
We've been looking for ways to help through our Internet Essentials program, the nation's largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program for low-income Americans. Effective March 16, we are putting in place two substantial program enhancements to help these families deal with this crisis.
We want to make it as fast and simple as possible to access this service:
Source:
https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19
Additional Information:
https://www.xfinity.com/prepare
https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19
Solved! Go to Solution.
My company has just listed a "work from home" policy. We need to transfer and deal with many files daily. Usually this is done on our work server, but when working from home this is going to quickly eat up our 1TB of data cap limits. On top of extra family being in the house and eating up additional resources, including streaming movies, shows, etc. that would not normally be going on throughout the day.
I won't get into an entire diatribe on how the fact that there is a data cap limit in the first place is completely unnecessary (limit usage during peak times, there is no finite amount of internet out there that would ever require there to be a cap) and that it's merely a money grab, but at the very least in this critical time in our nation, at least lift the cap for a month or two. And yes, I realize users can pay an additional $50/month for unlimited data... that's ridiculous to begin with, but even moreso while we have a pandemic going across the world.
Please find your morals and help us out. Seriously looking at other internet providers who care about their customers if you can't ste up to the plate. If AT&T and other providers can do it, so can you.
Comcast should be suspending data cap limits atleast during the pandemic we are facing at the moment. ATT has done it already and comcast has just increased speeds which means my Wife and I working from home , will be burning through our 1 TB measly data cap before the next week. Our work involves a lot of file transfers and remote VNC and RDP sessions of servers.
Request to comcast is to be considerate at this time of need and suspend the data caps till the epidemic is under control.
AT&T just suspended data caps. Many ISPs around the world are doing this.
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/12/coronavirus-could-force-isps-to-abandon-data-caps-forever/
What is Comcast doing? A token gesture to increase speeds for the lowest tier (which was a ripoff anyway)?
"The first is that any company that sends its subscriber a $150 overage fee because they had to work from home for a month and ran over their data cap is going to be radioactive. The optics on that are so bad that my guess is most companies are quietly setting forgiveness policies in place to prevent it from happening"
Are we going to see any response from Comcast?
I'd hope Comcast thinks so, but I very much doubt it.
Pausing Our Data Plan: With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
For all information on what steps Comcast is taking:
https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19
Comcast pauses data cap for 60 days
https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19
Forever is a very long time, but they paused data plans for 60 days:
https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19
Hi Comcast,
I am wondering if Comcast will help the community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many companies that are suggesting/forcing people to work from home. This means increased internet traffic from home.
- Is Comcast/Xfinity preparing for this overload in internet data traffic?
- Is comcast/Xfinity considering waiving the bandwidth data limit for home service for the next (at least) 2-4 weeks?
Thank you!
Juan Carlos
This is good news - kudos to them.
It does beg the question as the article pointed out - they clearly have data caps only to generate profit. Why have them at all?
I'm a technical lead at a K-12 school district. As our schools are being shut down over COVID19 concerns, but we will still be offering classes online, I'm scrambling to find options for our students without Internet access at home. I was thrilled when Comcast released their President's message (https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19) that xfinitywifi hotspots would be free for everyone temporarily! HOWEVER, I've been testing the xfinitywifi hotspot accessible in my neighborhood since yesterday, and every time I connect it prompts for an xfinity login or for payment (or the 1 hour limited guest access).
Anyone know when Xfinity will actually turn on this free wifi service?
@launcelot999 wrote:I'm a technical lead at a K-12 school district. As our schools are being shut down over COVID19 concerns, but we will still be offering classes online, I'm scrambling to find options for our students without Internet access at home. I was thrilled when Comcast released their President's message (https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19) that xfinitywifi hotspots would be free for everyone temporarily! HOWEVER, I've been testing the xfinitywifi hotspot accessible in my neighborhood since yesterday, and every time I connect it prompts for an xfinity login or for payment (or the 1 hour limited guest access).
Anyone know when Xfinity will actually turn on this free wifi service?
As far as Im aware of, you're supposed to go the 1 hour limited guest access, but you are allowed to constantly renew the 1 hour access during this window.
It's an excellent suggestion, and we've told families in need about that option for several years now. Unfortunately some of our families needing Internet at home don't qualify for Internet Essentials (and it appears that Comcast hasn't waived the qualifications as part of the free 60 day trial).
In the past, teachers have adapted their lessons for certain students if they know those students don't have access at home, or those students would take avantage of after-school hours/homework club to do their Internet-based work while at school.
Thanks, JWeaver. Hmmm. If the 1-hour guest access can be renewed successively without restriction, then that would certainly work. I couldn't find any definitive Intenet source confirming this or anything on the xfinitywifi authentication page that indicates this is the appropriate method. (xfinitywifi page currently says "Try a free one-hour pass today! Users receive one free pass every 30 days." ) I'll see if I can test your idea later on, and if I do, will report back results here.
With the recent announcement on 3/13 of suspending the 1024 GB data caps for 60 days, I have a few questions:
Please advise. Thanks.
@launcelot999 - I had the exact same question as you. Do you have an update for us?
I have staff who may need to work from home, and wanted to direct them to a resource in case they did not already have internet access. Thank you!
I called Comcast customer service with this same question. The representative said that they are offering free wifi only at certain hotspots (those that appear in the hotspot map search results--which BTW won't load without an internet connection!). From what I can see, these hotspots are at public locations such as stores. Hotspots at private homes, which show the charged plans upon signing in, will not be free. Sadly, offering free wifi at public locations doesn't do much to solve the COVID-19 problem of quarantines, and is not a reasonable option for telework or online schoolwork.
I am going to try calling Charter Spectrum (who at least in my area partners with Comcast), who apparently is offering free wifi for the next 60 days to households with K-12 students. Hopefully their included hotspots actually cover the households themselves and not just nearby stores. To enroll in the program <Edited>
@PSCTrainer , thank you for posting the response from customer service - I didn't think they would even be able to answer questions about it.
I would agree that a Comcast strategy of only offering free access on SOME hotspots really doesn't help as much as many of us need - my school's students included. It would have been nice if Comcast had posted this detail as a footnote on the announcement, or better yet, offered this service across all their hotspots. How is a user to to know if one xfinitywifi network their computer sees will give free access versus that same network name in a different physical location? Makes it an inconsistent and confusing behavior from what should be a wireless network with a consistent set of access rules REGARDLESS of where you access it from.
As an additional wrinkle, I'm in my office at school right now with two laptops in front of me. I attempted to connect to xfinitywifi on both of them. On one, it pops up the payment/login/guest pass screen and I cannot browse. On the other laptop, it doesn't give that popup, and I'm able to browse the Internet (just a little more slowly than I'm use to). I'm 100% certain I'm connecting both machines to the same "xfinitywifi" and do not have a network cable or anything else attached to either computer. Why would two machines sitting right next to each other get a different behavior from xfinitywifi? Ugh.
Given most of us are working from home these days, will Comcast kindly allow us to go pass 1TB monthly allowance without additional $10 per 50GB charges?
With families like mine quarantined, with schools closed, we are spending all of our time at home and yes, using internet almost 24/7. With the exceptional and extraneous circumstances that the COVID-19 outbreak has imposed on all of us, will you please temporarily lift the 1 TB monthly cap until we get through this thing?
@adamstevens wrote:
With families like mine quarantined, with schools closed, we are spending all of our time at home and yes, using internet almost 24/7. With the exceptional and extraneous circumstances that the COVID-19 outbreak has imposed on all of us, will you please temporarily lift the 1 TB monthly cap until we get through this thing?
At the very top of this thread is your answer.
@Dmadon wrote:
Hi, wondering why if you are doing so much for customers at this time of the pandemic you are okay with requiring clients to come into your store to wait in line and drop off old equipment ? Why are you okay with not social distancing? Why do we have to pick returning your remote or exposing ourselves and the more vulnerable? I was told by your customer service that the pandemic did not matter when it came to returning your equipment and being subject to fees.
We appreciate your feedback. We have always allowed our customer's multiple options to return their Comcast equipment. Should you need to return your rented equipment, there are four ways to do so:
Initiate your return online (recommended)
Stop by a local UPS Store
Visit us at a Comcast Service Center or Xfinity Store
Send your equipment back with a prepaid UPS shipping label
*If you have already contacted Comcast to disconnect your account and still need to return your equipment, you can use the Comcast Service Center/Xfinity Store or UPS Store drop-off options for your return.
Additional information about returning your equipment can be found here: https://forums.xfinity.com/t5/My-Account/ANSWERED-How-to-Return-Your-Xfinity-Equipment/ta-p/3003387
I am a teacher who will be using my internet to teach my students from home. What will I be charged if I go over my data amount each month. My daughter and I both will be using the computer a lot in the next few months. I just can't afford much more and I'm afraid my bill will go up?!
Thanks,
Virtual Teacher as of Now
@Vila22 wrote:
During this trying time for all , you would think Comcast would at least give customers a financial break or discount FOR ONCE from their ridiculous high prices !!! 16 years & the only thing I get is higher prices the longer we are with you. $281 for a cable bill is outrageous
Comcast is already supporting customers by removing Data Limits and opening their xifi hotspots. Both of these cost Comcast money to provide their customers. I think it may be unreasonable to ask that they not charge/reduce your bill, seeing as you are obviously taking advantage of their services. Additionally, per the main post: "We will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can’t pay their bills during this period. Our care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions." Not sure what else you want. If your bill is too high you should try contacting Comcast directly to see if there are packages/services you can afford.
@CVCodger wrote:
Given the large number of Virginians hunkered down at home to help contain spread of COVID-19, it would be a huge public service if Comcast offered new theatrical movies for home viewing at no or reduced cost. At the moment, we're all extra-dependent on cable tv to navigate the long days at home. Shouldn't Comcast consider this move, especially given the steps so many other companies are taking to support their customers during these trying times?
@KadKat wrote:
I thought it would be a nice gesture for Xfinity/Comcast to get together with HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and Starz to provide your customers with FREE premium movie channels for the duration of the Stay Home Presidential Order. There's going to be a lot of home television watching in the next couple of month. Many of us have lost our jobs and are stuck at home due to the presidential order to shut down restaurants and other gathering places.
This literally just happened at the beginning of March. Comcast did their annual "Movie Week" starting March 2nd https://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Channels-and-Programming/Movie-Week-2020/m-p/3308799 During this even I watched "Rocket Man" and the new "Whitney" movie. They advertised this event on commercials, on X1, on their websites, and here in the forum. Sorry if you missed it.
Additionally, per the "Additional Resources" link (https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/comcast-nbcuniversal-moves-to-make-current-movies-avail...) on the main post of this thread: "NBCUniversal today announced that Universal Pictures will make its movies available in the home on the same day as their global theatrical releases, as current circumstances have made it more challenging to view our films."
Not sure what else you are wanting.
I think what most of you are missing is all these efforts being offered by Comcast/Universal is not required and not cheap. Maybe instead of complaints, we should be grateful that they are doing anything to help their customers considering there was no government mandate for them to do anything.
Hope this helps.
<Edited>
You should share that TP
For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Only the ones listed in that map are the open ones. The ones broadcasted by customer homes will not be open.
So free Wifi is only available "in places like shopping districts, parks, businesses, and train stations" which are on lockdown and inaccessible to needy people who are out of work and quarantined at home. Brilliant. <Edited>
Since "free WiFi" in public gathering places is useless during a pandemic lockdown I attempted to apply for Internet Essentials online. The application page returned errors after I checked what assistance I receive and eventually reset. When I tried to restart my application it informed me that my application already exists and instructed me to enter my last name and phone number or application number (#<Edited>) to resume it. I tried both multiple times but the page returned errors every time. So, it's impossible to apply. <Edited>
WIth schools closed and parents working from home, has xfinity given any thought to relaxing the 1 TB data limit to help families out?
Kids are taking classes via internet, using streaming services, while parents are working from home too.
Xfinity should consider doing the right thing and temporarily removing max GB data limits during this pandemic. Families are asked to keep kids home, work from home, etc. this will no doubt cause a sharp increase in data usage. Xfinity says only a small % use 1024 gigs of data then it shouldn't be an issue to do the right thing during this pandemic. Just my two cents...
@RoJo10221 & @kcson,
Welcome to the Xfinity Forum and thank you for posting your question here. As mentioned in the main post on this thread, we have paused our data plans. With so many people working and educating from home, we want our customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the vast majority of our customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, we are pausing our data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
is comcast offering unlimited bandwidth due to people being home and using more interner than the 1 terabyte
Is Xfinity going to do something with the 100gb internet limit? With internet use up all across the board do to the corona virus quarantes. Maybe wave the overage fees for the months of the lockdown.