Subscribers will soon be offered service plans in both unlimited and by the gig formats.
A notable announcement was made by Comcast on Monday. The telecommunications giant will begin offering its 5G network to subscribers, competing directly with Charter Communications. For $45, subscribers can purchase unlimited access to Comcast’s 5G network but also have the option to purchase data by the gig to save money. Right before this announcement, Xfinity Mobile had raised its 1 GB plan from $12 a month to $15 a month, however, existing customers do not have to pay the difference unless they are opting in to 5G access. To activate 5G for existing Xfinity Mobile customers, subscribers can log onto Xfinity Mobile apps to opt into the service.
For now, both Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile customers may find some limitations on the availability of their 5G coverage as each provider uses Verizon’s 5G network which is primarily only available in downtown metro areas across the United States. One of the main drawbacks of 5G is the trade-off of the distance in which data can travel. 5G can be found on three different bands of the spectrum whereas the lower-band spectrum can travel farther but at slower speeds, yet the high-band spectrum can travel much faster but at much shorter distances. Verizon is building its high-band, millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum but to be fully implemented it will take time. Due to supply chain disruption and travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, these expansions may take even longer. Verizon is working on expanding its 5G throughout the nation as early as this year into new markets, but these efforts will focus on its low-band spectrum that will be unable to convey the speeds of mmWave.
The announcement of Xfinity’s 5G plans is not the only point of importance for the wireless provider. Both Xfinity and Charter will keep an eye on Altice as it has entered a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement with T-Mobile and AT&T which will offer its 5G services for no additional charge. Altice has also brought back its $20 a month plan that was recently pulled off the market in the first quarter of 2020.
Source: Light Reading