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Xfinity Mobile will throttle streaming resolution to 480p, hot spots at 3G

Steven Winkelman
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Big changes are coming for Xfinity Mobile customers. The wireless carrier announced new data prioritization rules that will affect all of its subscribers. In the coming weeks, Xfinity Mobile customers may see lower streaming resolution when using cellular data and significantly slower hot spot speeds.

First up, Xfinity Mobile will lower its default streaming resolution. The company announced it is “establishing 480p as the default resolution for streaming video over cellular data on Xfinity Mobile, which is consistent with standard unlimited plans across carriers.” The change will only apply when customers are streaming video over cellular data, an important distinction since one of the benefits of Xfinity Mobile is the ability to automatically connect to the company’s huge network of Wi-Fi hot spots.

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The second change unlimited users will notice is slower speeds when hotspotting. Currently, customers can stream at 4G speeds until they reach their monthly 20GB threshold. However, Xfinity Mobile announced it is “setting personal hotspotting at 3G speeds for all Unlimited customers, which will allow customers to continue to do many of the things they enjoy doing online.” These 3G speeds should allow you to do basic tasks like check email and surf the web. However, it’s not fast enough of music or video streaming.

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While the change in streaming resolution will affect all Xfinity Mobile customers, only unlimited customers will notice slower speeds when using their device as a hotspot: “By the Gig” customers will continue to have the option to use 4G speeds when creating a mobile hotspot.

Xfinity Mobile plans to offer a new tier of service with streaming at 720p later in the year, details about the plan are not yet available. In the meantime, a spokesperson for Xfinity Mobile told Digital Trends that customers who wish to continue streaming at 720p can contact the carrier directly to have service re-established until the new plan is announced later in the year.

Xfinity Mobile is a regional carrier that is currently available to customers who subscribe to Xfinity Wireless service. The service combines Verizon’s cellular network along with its own robust network of Wi-Fi hot spots around the country to provide low cost service to its customers. The company currently offers a plan with unlimited talk, text, and data for $45

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Steven Winkelman
Steven Winkelman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven writes about technology, social practice, and books. At Digital Trends, he focuses primarily on mobile and wearables…
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