How much data do I need per month?

You need at least 600 GB of data per month to comfortably do a range of activities online.

How much data do I use per month?

On average, North American internet users consumed 536 GB of broadband data per month in 2021. That’s an 11% increase from the same time period in 2020.1 Trends show that internet users are consuming more internet data each year compared to the year before.

How much data does Xfinity give you per month?

Xfinity internet plans come with 1.2 TB of data per month. That’s plenty of data for most people.

Does Xfinity Wi-Fi come with unlimited data?

Xfinity Wi-Fi plans do not usually come with unlimited data, but you can add the Unlimited Data Option to your plan for an extra $30 per month. We recommend the Unlimited Data Option if you have gigabit or multigigabit speeds because gigabit plans often consume a lot more data than slower plans.

Why does Xfinity have a data cap?

Internet providers like Xfinity traditionally have data caps to prevent some internet users from overloading the network with too much internet activity. But data caps also give internet providers an excuse to make more money by charging extra fees for data overages and offering unlimited data as an add-on to internet plans.

What is internet data?

Internet data is the digital information and content you consume as you spend time on the internet. Data can be anything from a video stream to a video game file to The New York Times homepage. System upgrades also count as digital data. All of this counts towards your monthly data cap (if you have one).

A data cap is a usage limit enforced by an internet provider, dictating the maximum amount of internet you’re allowed to use per month. Internet providers usually call it a data limit, data usage, usage allowance, or “fair use policy.” Most internet providers offer a data cap of 1 TB per month, but some providers have unlimited data on all or some of their plans. Satellite internet providers have much lower data caps.

Writer

Peter Holslin

Peter Holslin has more than a decade of experience working as a writer and freelance journalist. He graduated with a BA in liberal arts and journalism from New York City’s The New School University in 2008 and went on to contribute to publications like Rolling Stone, VICE, BuzzFeed, and countless others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on covering 5G, nerding out about frequency bands and virtual RAN, and producing reviews on emerging services like 5G home internet. He also writes about internet providers and packages, hotspots, VPNs, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting.

Family using computers at kitchen table.

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Here’s a rundown of how to budget your data and get more data if you need it. We also give you recommendations for the best internet plans with unlimited data.

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