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Xfinity’s NOW Internet Fills the Gap the ACP Leaves Behind

Customers tied to a budget should find great value in Xfinity's new offerings.

With the Affordable Connectivity Program coming to a close, internet providers are scrambling to offer customers a budget-friendly alternative. Xfinity is doing just that with NOW Internet, starting at $30 per month.

But that’s not all. Need mobile service, too? You can pair the affordable NOW Mobile with any standard or NOW Internet plan. If you’re ready to ditch the cable TV box, Xfinity has a new streaming TV service, too.

We’ll dig into the details so you can decide if these new services are right for your budget.

Can you get Xfinity internet?

Enter your zip code below to see if Xfinity’s new budget-friendly plans are available to you.

NOW Internet—The pros and cons

Pros:

  • No credit checks
  • No contracts
  • No data caps
  • Included gateway
  • Included monthly taxes and fees

Cons:

  • No support for other services
  • Self-install option only
  • Extra fee for hotspot access
  • Pay-in-advance requirement

NOW Internet is a pre-paid service, so there are no credit checks, contracts to sign, or hidden fees. However, unlike Xfinity’s postpaid internet, Wi-Fi Hotspot access is an extra monthly fee. You can’t add additional services, either, including NOW TV, Xfinity TV, Xfinity Home Security, or Voice Premiere—NOW Mobile is the only exception.

According to Xfinity, NOW Internet is only available to homes pre-wired for internet. Xfinity also doesn’t provide professional installation for this new service. Instead, it ships a self-install kit at no extra charge. A technician is available free of charge if customers experience issues installing the kit.

NOW Internet—The Plans

Download speedUpload speedPriceGet it
100Mbps10Mbps$30.00/mo.Shop Plans
200Mbps10Mbps$45.00/mo.Shop Plans

Xfinity supplies customers with the XB3 cable internet gateway at no extra charge, which is included in the self-install kit. Customers cannot use store-bought modems with Xfinity’s NOW Internet service.

And while the supplied gateway supports 600Mbps, the fastest NOW Internet plan (for now) is 200Mbps, which is a good amount for a small family. With that bandwidth, you can stream video, play games online, and browse the internet with room to spare. Superfast speeds are generally ideal for large families with a dozen devices.

NOW Internet—Availability

NOW Internet became available to all Xfinity customers as of April 30, 2024.

Are you ready for NOW Internet? Let's go!

Enter your zip code to see if Xfinity is available where you live.

NOW Mobile complements Xfinity’s new budget internet

DataVideoPriceGet it
Unlimited480p$25.00/mo. per lineShop Mobile

Xfinity also offers NOW Mobile, a new budget-friendly mobile plan that complements NOW Internet and is compatible with any Xfinity postpaid internet plan.

Like with NOW Internet, there are no contracts and no credit checks. However, Xfinity charges a one-time $25 setup fee per line (five lines max) and a $35 restocking fee. You can even bring your own device or purchase a new one at full cost—financing is not available.

NOW Mobile is not eligible with Buy One Get One promotions or multi-product discounts.

Xfinity has a new NOW TV service, too

NOW TV is a new service for customers who prefer streaming over the traditional cable TV box. Cable internet relies on abandoned TV channels to deliver internet, so getting customers off traditional cable TV boxes and using NOW TV helps Xfinity recover unused channels to deliver faster speeds.

Here’s a summary of the new service:

Price:$20.00/mo.
NOW TV channels:40+
Xfinity Stream channels:30+
Cloud DVR:20 hours
Concurrent screens:3

Install the Xfinity Stream app on your smart TV or mobile device to watch NOW TV. The app is already installed on the Xumo Stream Box and Xfinity Flex.

Other eligible devices and services include Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay, and Amazon Fire TV.

Get NOW TV

FAQ about NOW Internet

NOW Internet vs. Internet Essentials: What's the difference?

To better answer this question, we created a table to show the major differences between these two services:

  NOW Internet Internet Essentials
Home availability Pre-wired only Pre-wired, Ready-to-connect
Pre-pay Yes No
Credit check No credit check Pre-qualify
Wi-Fi Hotspot Access $20.00/mo. Included

Author -

Kevin Parrish has more than a decade of experience working as a writer, editor, and product tester. He began writing about computer hardware and soon branched out to other devices and services such as networking equipment, phones and tablets, game consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom’s Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on network equipment testing and review.

Editor - Aaron Gates

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