Optimize Your Internet Data Usage To Avoid The Comcast Xfinity Data Cap

By: Brian Cavanaugh, Denver CO

Did you know that Comcast now has a data cap for their Xfinity internet service? You might not have noticed because the company introduced this change quietly, but it’s there. The data cap is set at 1.2 TB per month and if you go over your limit, Comcast will automatically charge you $10 for every 50GB beyond the limit.

Why Does Xfinity Have A Data Cap?

Xfinity has a data cap because their goal is to keep people from “cord-cutting” or cancelling their cable service. If you have internet, why would you need Xfinity TV? Xfinity wants to make sure that they can continue offering bundled packages for those who want both services.

We believe Xfinity’s data cap is a sneaky move that has been in the making for years. They try to keep people from cancelling their TV service now by punishing them if they don’t need or use it much.

Cord-cutting is a better solution to Xfinity’s data cap problem. You can still have internet, but you will be able to save money on your cable bill and watch what you want when you want.

Why Is My Xfinity Data Usage So High?

In 2023 the typical home has a lot of internet-connected devices. The more devices and the more family members you have typically, the more data you will use. Your family uses data streaming, gaming, homeschooling, working from home, video chats, automatic cloud backups, home automation, and more.

I personally have a lot of experience with Internet providers and data cap avoidance strategies. I have a family of four with two adults working from home and two kids home schooling. As you might imagine we stream a decent amount and my kids even do online gaming. Even so, we have never paid Comcast a dime extra for going over our data caps. In this blog I will share with you all of my strategies for staying under the data cap and saving money on Comcast Xfinity.

I have also seen many people being taken advantage of by Comcast Xfinity. Professionally I worked for CenturyLink for 13 years before founding StreamWise Solutions, formerly freeTVee, 12 years ago. At StreamWise Solutions, we work all day to help people get their freedom from Xfinity. We are here to help educate consumers so they can make smarter decisions about TV and the internet. Schedule a free phone consultation with a StreamWise Solution expert now!

Comcast Xfinity Data Cap Limits

First off, let me be apparent that internet providers have no real reason to enforce internet data caps. Comcast Xfinity has shown this is a money play due to the lack of internet competition. Even the recent spike in internet usage due to the pandemic has not created any network issues for Xfinity, so their story of trying to keep their network’s integrity does not hold water. When the home internet market has more true competition, I highly doubt we will have data caps any longer. Apparently some in government agree, as seen in this Xfinity Price Gouging Investigation.

• 1.2 TB (1,200 GB) is the internet data usage limit for Xfinity each month.
• If you go over you, pay $10 for each 50GB.
• Every month resets and the first month you go over is no charge.

If its not bad enough that Comcast Xfinity raises prices every 6-12 months, now they have found a new sneaky way get more money from their customers. Comcast Xfinity is the only Internet provider in Colorado that enforces data caps by charging its customers extra money every time they go over their data usage cap. You can log in to your My Xfinity account on the app or check your Xfinity data usage online.

How Do I Check My Xfinity Data Usage?

The best way to check you Xfinity data usage is to download the Xfinity mobile app (available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone). You can also log in online and view your data usage by clicking on “My Usage” at myxfinity.com. Clicking this link will show all of your detailed monthly information including:

• Your current billing cycle start date & end date.
• How much total data has been used during that period.

What Consumes The Most Data Usage For Xfinity?

On a scale from 1-10, where 1 means very little data used and ten means giant data hog. Checking email and regular internet surfing come in at a 1. Watching YouTube videos or streaming Netflix clocks in at about a 5 – this will not push you over your data cap unless you have multiple devices streaming YouTube and Netflix all day long. The big 9-10 data sucks are streaming lots of 4K videos, online gaming, and big file uploads and downloads.

The more internet-connected devices and the more people you have in your home adds up to more internet data usage. One way to monitor and control data usage is to install a better Mesh WiFi technology that gives you easy access to an app on your phone where you can watch the internet-connected devices on your network, set device priorities, improve your WiFi security and add parental controls. When you own your Mesh WiFi and modem yourself, it saves you the monthly rental fees from Xfinity and gets you better and faster WiFi coverage in your home, win-win!

How Much Data Does Streaming Video Use?

SD	Full HD	4K Ultra HD
1GB per hour	3GB per hour	7GB per hour

How To Lower Your Xfinity Streaming Data Usage?

• Change Internet providers – Where available, switch to an ISP that doesn’t enforce data caps CenturyLink, Starry, NextLight (Longmont) or new 5G Internet like Verizon or T-Mobile). See best internet providers.
• Don’t have streaming video and multiple TVs going all day/night as background noise, use a TV Antenna with no internet data instead.
• When you are done streaming close out or hit the Home button.
• Don’t stream in 4K – Adjust Video Quality for your Streaming App (YouTube TV, Sling, Netflix, Etc).
• Turn off “autoplay” next episode in each App’s settings (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc.).
• For an extra $25-30 a month, you can get Unlimited Data from Xfinity (not recommended).

Change To An Internet Provider Without A Data Cap

Sadly most people have no real options to change to a different high-speed internet provider. Trust me, Xfinity fully understands this, which is the whole reason they charge for data caps in the first place.

How to get high speed internet for $50/mo. (taxes and fees included)!

Comcast Xfinity is the only Internet provider in Colorado that enforces data caps. CenturyLink is usually about the only other option, but make sure you can get at least 40MB speed. Starry, NextLight (Longmont), or new 5G Internet like Verizon or T-Mobile do not enforce data caps.

Get 70+ Free TV Channels Via A TV Antenna – No Internet Or Data Used!

At StreamWise Solutions, we are all about getting you the least expensive TV & Internet every month forever. Did you know that the most-watched TV channels are available in HD for free with an Outdoor or Attic TV Antenna?

 If installed properly, you can get all of your major local network TV channels with better picture quality and better HD, free forever! Another benefit of using an HD Antenna is that it uses no data at all! Considering your local news, favorite sports, and shows can all be watched data free and cost-free. Installing an outdoor or attic antenna can ensure you stay under your data cap every month.

Xfinity Unlimited Data Internet Plan

If you are like me, paying Xfinity more money every month (on top of the monthly internet charge I already pay for) doesn’t feel right. Also, I’m not particularly eager to support businesses that don’t have consumers’ best interests at heart. I would only recommend this as a last resort, but you can pay Xfinity $25-30 a month extra for unlimited data. Just like all of the other BS TV fees, this is only one more way Comcast can pick up additional revenue without doing much of anything.

Don’t pay Xfinity every month for more speed. Find out the best way to save money and make your internet faster!

The Real Problem Is Comcast Xfinity Has No Competition

As I am sure you know by now, with Comcast Xfinity, it’s all about the money – taking yours, that is. There is no valid reason for data caps other than giving them one more way they can suck more money out of you every month. Even worse, Xfinity doesn’t give you any real way to track how much data you are using. Xfinity itself has even admitted that it had issues where their data meter was wrong.

If the data cap was about fairly charging the customer for the amount of data they consume, why does a single grandma who only uses the internet to check emails not pay less every month? The answer is because this is not really about metering bandwidth for people. It’s about exploiting an opportunity because Comcast Xfinity is well aware that they don’t have any real internet competition in our state.

Conclusion – Get Educated And You Can Avoid Xfinity Internet Data Caps

Anyone that has dealt with Comcast Xfinity’s bait and switch pricing, hidden fees, terrible customer service, etc. should not be too surprised that Xfinity doesn’t care what you think about their data cap. So the best we can do is work around their internet data cap. The more you know, the easier that is to do.

Since Xfinity is the only ISP in Colorado that enforces a data cap, changing providers would be the best option. Saving money and Cutting The Cord from Comcast for TV is what we recommend to most. For many reasons, the first thing to do when Cutting The Cord is to install a whole home outdoor HD Antenna for free TV with no internet data usage. Tweaking your WiFi and streaming hardware, as well as some habits, can also make a difference.

Internet, WiFi, networking, and data caps can be complicated, and the best solution varies based on your families’ unique situation. If you are new to Cord Cutting or new to the Internet and WiFi, I highly recommend scheduling a free phone consultation with one of our experts now.

Get A-La-Carte TV Channels While Streaming High Speed Internet And Save $125 A Month On Your Cable Or Satellite Bills!