If you’re sick of seeing your internet bill increase every year, Xfinity is rolling out a new perk that might buy your loyalty.
Starting today, when you sign up for a new internet plan with Xfinity, you can choose a five-year price guarantee. You’ll pay extra for that stability though, as plans with the price guarantee cost between $10 and $30 more per month in the first year or two than the same plans without it.
After that promotional period ends, Xfinity’s plans spike considerably: a 2024 analysis found that prices increased by an average of $26 per month after a year or two, depending on where you live. You can always try to negotiate a better deal once this increase kicks in, but this new price guarantee lets you bypass that hurdle altogether. The price guarantee doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a contract, either — you can still cancel your service at any point without paying an early termination fee.
“We’re addressing two significant consumer pain points — rising costs and transparency — with incredible value and easy-to-understand pricing that is locked in for five years,” Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Croney said in a statement.
Here’s how Xfinity’s plans compare with the price guarantee and without it:
| Download speed | Price w/ five-year guarantee | Price without guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| 400Mbps | $55 | $40 ($69 after 12 months) |
| 600Mbps | $70 | $55 ($79 after 12 months) |
| 1,100Mbps | $85 | $70 ($99 after 12 months) |
| 2,100Mbps | $105 | $100 ($109 after 12 months) |
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In addition to the cost consistency, Xfinity’s price guarantee comes with a few other perks:
- Equipment is included: On all price guarantee plans, you’ll get Xfinity’s modem and router at no extra cost. Typically, this adds another $15 to your monthly bill.
- Unlimited data: Many of Xfinity’s cheaper plans in the West and Central divisions come with a 1.2TB data cap. The average household consumes about half that much data at 698GB. If you choose the five-year price guarantee, you won’t have to worry about going over the cap and incurring any related overage fees.
- Free mobile line for a year: Xfinity also throws in a cellphone line for one year when you choose a price guarantee plan. This costs $40 a month on its own, but Xfinity often has promotions for a free mobile plan for a year even without the price guarantee.
An Xfinity representative told me the five-year price guarantee will be available to existing customers later this month. To activate it, you can choose the guarantee in your online account, call Xfinity or visit a store.
Let’s do the math: Is Xfinity’s five-year price guarantee worth it?
I’ve been writing about broadband for six years, and it’s still hard for me to wrap my head around Xfinity’s plans. Prices increase on all plans after one year, and the equipment fee is only included in the first year, too.
Let’s use Xfinity’s cheapest plan as an example. It gets you 400Mbps download and 150Mbps upload speed. With the price guarantee, you’ll pay $55 monthly for the entire five years. That totals $660 a year, or $3,300 over five years before taxes. Without the price guarantee, you’ll pay $40 monthly for the first year, then $69 a month after that. That works out to $3,792 over five years, or $4,992 if you choose to rent equipment from Xfinity, which adds an extra $25 monthly after the first year.
| Download speed | Price over five years (with guarantee) | Price over five years (without guarantee, using own equipment) | Price over five years (without guarantee, using Xfinity equipment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400Mbps | $3,300 | $3,792 | $4,992 |
| 600Mbps | $4,200 | $4,452 | $5,652 |
| 1,100Mbps | $5,100 | $5,592 | $6,792 |
| 2,100Mbps | $6,300 | $6,432 | $7,632 |
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Of course, those prices assume you never negotiate a better deal when the price increase occurs. If you don’t want to deal with that hassle, Xfinity’s five-year price guarantee is a decent deal — especially if you prefer to use Xfinity’s modem and router rather than purchase your own.
If it were me, I think I would prefer to maintain the flexibility rather than pay more upfront for the price guarantee. If you’re using your own equipment — and you absolutely should be — the savings aren’t that impressive. I’d rather roll the dice and hope that I could get back on a cheaper promotion once the price increases after a year. With 5G home internet providers increasingly becoming a viable alternative, switching providers isn’t the empty threat it used to be.
