Your Broadband Internet Access Service Performance
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Comcast provides residential customers with a variety of high-speed broadband Internet access service plans from which to choose, with download speed tiers ranging from up to 5 megabits per second ("Mbps") to up to 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds ranging from up to 768 kilobits per second ("Kbps") to up to 35 Mbps on our DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 cable networks. We also offer a fiber-based service with symmetrical download and upload speeds up to 2 Gbps. To see the plans currently available to you, please go to https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service.
Comcast provisions its customers' modems and gateways and engineers its network with the goal of enabling customers to enjoy the broadband Internet access service speeds to which they subscribe. Comcast also provides minimum system recommendations for each of the speed tiers it offers, which can be found at https://www.xfinity.com/support/internet/requirements-to-run-xfinity-internet-service/. However, Comcast does not guarantee that a customer will achieve those speeds at all times. Comcast advertises its speeds as "up to" a specific level based on the tier of broadband Internet access service to which a customer subscribes. As Comcast makes clear in its advertising and pricing information disclosures, "Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed." The "actual" speed that a customer will experience while using the service depends upon a variety of conditions, many of which are beyond the control of Comcast as an Internet Service Provider ("ISP").
These conditions include:
- Performance of a customer's computer, smartphone, tablet, or other Internet-connected device, including factors such as its age, processing capability, operating system, the number of applications running simultaneously, and the presence of any adware and viruses.
- Type of connection between a customer's computer and modem. For example, in-home wireless connections, e.g., WiFi, between the device and the router or modem generally may be slower than wired connections. In-home wireless connections also may be subject to greater performance fluctuations, caused by factors like interference, attenuation, and congestion. Comcast recommends that customers confirm that their in-home wireless connections are able to support the speeds that Comcast's services deliver. Certain older in-home wireless connections and routers cannot perform at the speeds delivered by Comcast's higher speed tiers. Customers can purchase their modem and router at a retail outlet, or they can lease the necessary equipment from Comcast, though even wireless routers leased from Comcast are subject to some of the same limitations mentioned above.
- The distance and time it takes packets to travel between a customer's modem and their final destination on the Internet, or their point of origination and a customer's modem, including the number and quality of the networks of various operators in the transmission path. The Internet is a "network of networks." A customer's Internet traffic may traverse the networks of multiple providers before reaching its destination, and the capabilities of those networks, as well as the capacity of the facilities the edge provider (i.e., any provider of content, applications, or services over the Internet) has chosen to route its traffic to Comcast's network (and the interconnection capacity it has arranged), may affect the overall speed of an Internet connection.
- Congestion or high usage levels at the edge provider or destination. When you access an edge provider or particular destination that is being visited by others at the same time, you may experience a slower connection if the edge provider or destination does not have sufficient capacity to serve all of the visitors efficiently at the same time.
- Gating of speeds or access by the edge provider or destination. To control traffic or performance, many edge providers limit the speeds at which a visitor can download from their site. Those speed limitations will carry through to a customer's connection.
- The performance of the cable modem you have installed. Modem performance may degrade over time, and certain modems are not capable of handling higher speeds, such as DOCSIS 2.0 devices or early DOCSIS 3.0 devices. Comcast has a Device-to-Product Enforcement ("DPE") program to identify when customers may be using incompatible or old modem devices, whether leased or owned, and provides instructions on how to obtain new modems capable of receiving the speeds and features included with their service. From time to time Comcast may “end of life” certain cable modems or cease permitting those devices to attach to the network for network management and security reasons. Additionally, Comcast encourages its customers to promptly contact customer service if they have any concerns about their modem performance or speed capabilities. Please visit My Device Info for information regarding cable modems approved for use on Comcast's network and to determine which devices can support various speeds.
Speed
The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") conducts an ongoing, rigorous study of the performance of ISPs in the United States ("Measuring Broadband America"), including Comcast. The most recent report from this study can be found on the FCC's website. The FCC determined that Comcast's Xfinity Internet broadband Internet access services deliver, on average, over 100 percent of their advertised downstream and upstream speeds during the busiest periods of the day, known as "peak" times, during sustained testing. Peak times are Monday through Friday from 7:00pm to 11:00pm local time.
Below are the median download and upload speeds by tier. Unless otherwise noted, the reported information comes from the latest FCC study. Certain service tiers noted below were not included in the FCC's study either because they are newer products with limited availability or they do not meet the study's reporting requirements. For these noted tiers, the information below is based on data compiled independently by Comcast during the same time period as the FCC study and using a largely similar testing methodology.
Download Speed Tier | Measured Speed (Peak) | Upload Speed Tier | Measured Speed (Peak) |
---|---|---|---|
5 Mbps | 5.95 Mbps(1) | 1 Mbps | 1.21 Mbps(1) |
10 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps(1) | 1 Mbps | 1.21 Mbps(1) |
10 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps(1) | 2 Mbps | 2.4 Mbps(1) |
25 Mbps | 29.41 Mbps | 0.768 Mbps | 0.89 Mbps(1) |
50 Mbps | 57.56 Mbps(1) | 5 Mbps | 5.92 Mbps |
75 Mbps | 83.11 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 11.89 Mbps |
100 Mbps | 111.07 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5.92 Mbps |
150 Mbps | 151.65 Mbps(1) | 20 Mbps | 23.73 Mbps(1) |
200 Mbps | 221.07 Mbps(1) | 10 Mbps | 11.89 Mbps(1) |
250 Mbps | 265.1 Mbps(1) | 25 Mbps | 29.7 Mbps(1) |
300 Mbps | 318.2 Mbps(1) | 25 Mbps | 29.7 Mbps(1) |
1 Gbps(2) | 931.51 Mbps(1)(3) | 35 Mbps(2) | 38.25 Mbps(1) |
2 Gbps | 2,086 Mbps(1) | 2 Gbps | 2,060 Mbps(1) |
(1)Based on independent measurements by Comcast | (2)Available in most, but not all, markets | ||
(3)Due to current technological limitations related to the capabilities of Ethernet ports in current hardware, download speeds through those ports for 1 Gbps service are limited as specified in the table above. |
Comcast's Xfinity Internet broadband Internet access services also deliver over 100 percent of their advertised downstream and upstream speeds during periods of time when Internet usage is generally lighter, known as "off peak" times, during sustained testing.
Comcast median speeds by tier during off peak times:
Download Speed (Off Peak) | Measured Speed | Upload Speed (Off Peak) | Measured Speed |
---|---|---|---|
5 Mbps | 5.95 Mbps(1) | 1 Mbps | 1.21 Mpbs(1) |
10 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps(1) | 1 Mbps | 1.21 Mpbs(1) |
10 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps(1) | 2 Mbps | 2.4 Mpbs(1) |
25 Mbps | 29.51 Mbps | 0.768 Mbps | 0.90 Mpbs |
50 Mbps | 58.59 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5.93 Mpbs |
75 Mbps | 86.02 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 11.89 Mpbs |
100 Mbps | 113.01 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 5.93 Mpbs |
150 Mbps | 168.29 Mbps(1) | 20 Mbps | 23.75 Mbps(1) |
200 Mbps | 230.83 Mbps(1) | 10 Mbps | 11.89 Mpbs(1) |
250 Mbps | 292.5 Mbps(1) | 25 Mbps | 29.9 Mpbs(1) |
300 Mbps | 336.5 Mbps(1) | 25 Mbps | 29.9 Mpbs(1) |
1 Gbps(2) | 941.03 Mbps(1)(3) | 35 Mbps(2) | 41.73 Mbps(1) |
2 Gbps | 2,088 Mbps(1) | 2 Gbps | 2,065 Mbps(1) |
(1)Based on independent measurements by Comcast | (2)Available in most, but not all, markets | ||
(3)Due to current technological limitations related to the capabilities of Ethernet ports in current hardware, download speeds through those ports for 1 Gbps service are limited as specified in the table above. |
While individual experiences may vary, the FCC's and Comcast’s tests have consistently confirmed the quality of Comcast's Xfinity Internet broadband Internet access services.
You also can test your speeds yourself. Comcast offers its customers the ability to test the speeds that they are receiving on Comcast's network from the customer's computer to test sites located throughout Comcast's network. Simply go to Xfinity Speed Test to test your connection. These tests are heavily dependent on several of the factors outlined above, especially the customer's in-home Wi-Fi network. Therefore, these tests do not necessarily reflect the performance of the Comcast network alone.
There are other speed tests that measure Internet performance. We have provided links to a few of these sites below for your reference. Please note, however, that all speed tests have limitations and flaws. Each of these tests measures limited aspects of an ISP's speed and therefore must be seen as a guide rather than definitive measurements of performance.
Latency
Latency is another measurement of Internet performance. Latency is the time delay in transmitting or receiving packets on a network. Latency is primarily a function of the distance between two points of transmission, but also can be affected by the number and quality of the network or networks used in transmission. Latency is typically measured in milliseconds, and generally has no significant impact on typical everyday Internet usage. As latency varies based on any number of factors, most importantly the distance between a customer's computer and the ultimate Internet destination, it is not possible to provide customers with a single figure that will define latency as part of a user experience. Comcast has no basis for saying what level of latency should be expected by any particular user at any particular time but notes that the measured results from the FCC study as to past performance are perhaps the closest one can come to identifying expectations of future performance as well.
The FCC study measures latency using packet tests that calculate the time it takes for packets to travel from a customer location to a target test node and back. Below are the Comcast median latency results by tier during peak times (as defined above), during sustained testing:
Speed Tier | Latency (Peak) |
---|---|
Down 5 Mbps | 12.3 ms(1) |
Down 10 Mbps | 16.4 ms(1) |
Down 25 Mbps | 20.44 ms |
Down 50 Mbps | 25.20 ms |
Down 75 Mbps | 22.62 ms |
Down 100 Mbps | 20.52 ms |
Down 150 Mbps | 19.20 ms(1) |
Down 200 Mbps | 21.07 ms(1) |
Down 250 Mbps | 24.3 ms(1) |
Down 300 Mbps | 39.1 ms(1) |
Down 1 Gbps | 15.2 ms(1) |
Down 2 Gbps | 12.8 ms(1) |
(1)Based on measurements by Comcast |
Below are the Comcast median latency results by tier during off peak times, during sustained testing:
Speed Tier | Latency (Off Peak) |
---|---|
Down 5 Mbps | 11.7 ms(1) |
Down 10 Mbps | 13.7 ms(1) |
Down 25 Mbps | 19.86 ms |
Down 50 Mbps | 24.96 ms(1) |
Down 75 Mbps | 22.15 ms |
Down 100 Mbps | 20.26 ms |
Down 150 Mbps | 18.75 ms |
Down 200 Mbps | 20.71 ms(1) |
Down 250 Mbps | 23.2 ms(1) |
Down 300 Mbps | 37.3 ms(1) |
Down 1 Gbps | 14 ms(1) |
Down 2 Gbps | 12.6 ms(1) |
(1)Based on measurements by Comcast |
These results do not define latency as part of a particular user experience because:
- The results include time spent traversing networks not controlled by Comcast;
- The geographic distance between any given user and the target node may vary greatly from those employed in the FCC study.
Customers can test the latency characteristics of their service at Xfinity Speed Test. Of course, this test also may reflect limitations in a customer's home network (especially WiFi) and computers, and therefore will not necessarily reflect the performance of the Comcast network alone.
There are other latency tests available on the Internet. As previously explained, however, all tests have limitations and flaws, and therefore must be seen as a guide rather than definitive measurements of performance.
XFINITY WiFi Hotspots
In addition to the residential or commercial broadband Internet access service that you enjoy at your home or office, Comcast provides eligible subscribers and other consumers with access to Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which allow eligible subscribers and other consumers to access the Internet when they are at one of the many Xfinity WiFi or Cable WiFi hotspots. Comcast engineers the network underlying Xfinity WiFi hotspots to deliver high-performance access to the Internet. However, the performance you experience once you connect to an Xfinity WiFi hotspot may vary based on any number of factors, such as the number of other subscribers trying to use the same hotspot at the same time, your computer or wireless device, your WiFi receiving antenna, your distance from the hotspot router, attenuation from walls and foliage, and interference from other devices using the same spectrum, in addition to many other factors beyond Comcast’s control. These hotspots use spectrum that the FCC has allocated for "unlicensed" use, which means that our use of this spectrum is not protected from interference from other devices using the same spectrum in the same geographical area. This makes it inherently difficult to predict the kind of performance you can expect. Therefore, this service is provided solely on a "best efforts" basis.