Comcast has announced additional steps to help ensure people stay connected to the internet as schools suspend classes and companies encourage employees to work from home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Comcast is taking steps to implement the following new policies for the next 60 days, and other important initiatives:
Xfinity WiFi Free for Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country, including more than 200,000 in Florida, will be available to anyone who needs them for free, including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. 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.
Pausing Our Data Plan: With so many people working and educating from home, Comcast wants its customers to access the internet without thinking about data plans. While the majority of customers do not come close to using 1TB of data in a month, the company will pause its data plans for 60 days, giving all customers unlimited data for no additional charge.
No Disconnects or Late Fees: Comcast will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact the company and let them know that they can’t pay their bills during this period. Customer care teams will be available to offer flexible payment options and can help find other solutions.
Internet Essentials Free to New Customers: It’s even easier for low-income families who live in a Comcast service area to sign-up for Internet Essentials, the nation’s largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. New customers will receive 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month. Additionally, for all new and existing Internet Essentials customers, the speed of the program’s Internet service has been increased to 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. That increase will go into effect for no additional fee and it will become the new base speed for the program.
News, Information and Educational Content on X1 and Flex: For those with school-age students at home, Comcast has created new educational collections for all grade levels in partnership with Common Sense Media. Just say “education” into your X1 or Flex voice remote. To help keep customers informed, Comcast has also created a collection of the most current news and information on Coronavirus. Just say “Coronavirus” into your X1 or Flex voice remote.
24×7 Network Monitoring: Underpinning these efforts, Comcast’s technology and engineering teams will continue to work tirelessly to support network operations. The company engineers its network capacity to handle spikes and shifts in usage patterns, and continuously test, monitor and enhance its systems and network to ensure they are ready to support customer usage. Engineers and technicians staff network operations centers 24/7 to ensure network performance and reliability. Comcast is monitoring network usage and watching the load on the network both nationally and locally, and to date it is performing well.
For updates from Comcast related to COVID-19, visit www.comcastcorporation.com/COVID-19.
