Why Are Xfinity Upload Speeds So Slow

Comcast just released a 2020 Network Performance Information report with stats on how much Internet usage rose during the pandemic, and it said that upload employ is growing faster than download use. "Elevation downstream traffic in 2020 increased approximately 38 pct over 2019 levels and tiptop upstream traffic increased approximately 56 percent over 2019 levels," Comcast said.

Just while upload employ on Comcast's network quickly grows—driven largely by videoconferencing among people working and learning at dwelling—the nation's largest home-Internet provider with over 30 million customers advertises its speed tiers as if uploading doesn't exist. Comcast'south 56 percent increase in upstream traffic made me wonder if the company will increase upload speeds any time soon, then I checked out Comcast's Xfinity.com site today to encounter the current upload speeds. Getting that information was even more difficult than I expected.

The Xfinity website advertises cable-Cyberspace plans with download speeds starting at 25Mbps without mentioning that upstream speeds are just a fraction of the downstream ones. I went through Comcast's online ordering system today and found no mention of upload speeds anywhere. Even clicking "pricing & other info" and "view program details" links to read the fine print on various Internet plans didn't reveal upload speeds.

Even after adding a program to the cart and going through virtually of the checkout process, I could non find whatever mention of upload speeds. I got to the point where yous have to enter credit card information to keep, so I initially stopped in that location. I later confirmed that Comcast'southward ordering arrangement will show upload speeds after it checks whether your credit carte is valid, in the terminal page where you submit an order.

Deliberately keeping customers in the night

I've long known that it'southward hard to find upload speeds on Comcast's website, only I'm not sure exactly when it became nearly impossible. There were complaints about this very problem on Comcast'due south client support forums in 2020 and in 2019, though. "What is my upload speed now? No where in the world can I notice documentation," i customer asked. The answer was that existing customers can discover upload speeds for their ain plan in their account settings after logging in and navigating to the correct department.

Only that does not aid people who are signing up for service and desire to find out what upload speeds they'll get or compare upload speeds of dissimilar plans. Even the Xfinity.com comparison tool that lets you compare details of different plans doesn't reveal their upload speeds. The absence of upload speeds from Comcast's website is and so thorough that it is clearly a deliberate attempt to proceed customers in the nighttime. This gallery shows how the Comcast Xfinity website displays Internet plans without mentioning upload speeds and continues that tactic through nearly the entire checkout process:

• Comcast'south website displays these Internet offers in my location without stating upload speeds.

• Comcast has a tool that lets you compare 2 plans—but information technology doesn't show the plans' unlike upload speeds.

  Comcast

• After adding a programme to the cart, you can start the checkout process. No upload speeds are in sight.

  Comcast

• We still don't know what the upload speeds are, but Comcast tells us about its "Flex" streaming box.

  Comcast

• Now nosotros can select an installation engagement and time, simply upload speeds still are non revealed.

  Comcast

• Now you accept to enter your credit card information—only after doing so volition Comcast let you see the 300Mbps download plan'south 10Mbps upload speeds.

  Comcast

Thankfully, the 3rd-party website CableTV.com lists both download and upload speeds, showing that Comcast's 25Mbps download plan comes with 3Mbps uploads; the 100Mbps and 200Mbps download plans both have 5Mbps uploads; the 300Mbps download program has 10Mbps uploads; the 600Mbps plan has 15Mbps uploads; and the 1Gbps download (1.2Gbps in some areas) comes with 35Mbps:

Enlarge / Comcast speeds and prices, no thanks to Comcast's website.

Comcast'south website does list the 35Mbps upload speeds for the gigabit programme at this page, only I couldn't discover anything similar for Comcast'due south other cable-Internet plans. Comcast also offers a fiber-to-the-domicile service with 2Gbps speeds both downstream and upstream. But Comcast'due south residential cobweb requires installation charges of up to $500, and the service costs $300 a month, which is more than than three times every bit much as the gigabit-cable plan that has 35Mbps downloads.

Comcast, why did y'all make this and so hard?

I contacted Comcast today with 2 primary questions: is at that place any way to find upload speeds on Comcast's website before submitting an order for Cyberspace service, and does Comcast have any plans to raise its cable upload speeds?

Comcast'south reply on where to find upstream speeds was every bit follows:

Our network report shows that, despite the growth in upstream traffic in 2020, patterns remain highly asymmetrical equally downstream volumes were 14x college than upstream throughout 2020. Our website reflects the style customers use the Cyberspace with downstream overwhelmingly dominating usage, but upstream speeds are included in your cart and are visible upon check out when you submit your order.

Despite Comcast claiming that "upstream speeds are included in your cart," I could discover no evidence of this. Adding a Comcast Net programme to the cart and then clicking the cart icon brought me to an ordering page that does not mention upload speeds. I confirmed this beliefs on Xfinity.com in both Chrome and Safari.

I circled back to the Comcast spokesperson and asked what exact steps I need to take to brand upload speeds show upward in the cart. It turns out the upload speeds never show up in the cart at all unless you define "cart" to include the entire ordering process. Comcast told u.s. the upload speeds will finally appear "when you are at the stride when you review your order."

Despite my before reluctance to enter my credit bill of fare information for service I am not ordering, I finally did then to bank check whether this is accurate. I submitted my accost, phone number, and credit card information, and I clicked "Next." This triggered a step in which Comcast's system checked to come across whether I had entered a valid credit card. I accidentally entered a recently expired card number, so Comcast'due south arrangement "declined" my card and made me re-enter it. Afterward I entered a bill of fare number that Comcast could accuse, I finally got to this page, where the 300Mbps download-plan's 10Mbps upload speeds are shown:

Overstate / The last folio in Comcast'southward ordering system.

Xfinity.com

At this page, with Comcast having already verified your carte du jour, y'all can view upload speeds and make up one's mind whether to submit the society or exit the ordering system. The part of Comcast's statement that upload speeds are "visible upon check out when you submit your social club" is thus accurate. Just refusing to tell a prospective client what they're paying for until subsequently they submit credit card information is simply ridiculous. You tin probably get upload speeds earlier by asking a Comcast rep in an online chat or phone call, but that shouldn't exist necessary.

Update: After digging through Comcast's list of customer agreements, policies, and disclosures, I found a now-outdated network direction page that includes download and upload speeds. Information technology appears to be the newest such list available on Comcast'south website, merely information technology was published on Baronial 19, 2019 and the listed speeds don't lucifer Comcast'southward electric current offerings.

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Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/comcast-hides-upload-speeds-deep-inside-its-infuriating-ordering-system/

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