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Comcast launches its contractless Xfinity prepaid internet service

Comcast launches its contractless Xfinity prepaid internet service

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Comcast’s prepaid internet service, after years of testing, is now available to all Xfinity customers. The package allows consumers to pay for internet service on a pay-as-you-go basis, with refills ranging from seven to 30 days.

Comcast is partnering with Boost Mobile to sell the $80 prepaid internet starter kits, which come with a wireless DOCSIS 3.0 gateway and 30 days of service. Download speeds measure up to 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps for uploads, and refills start at $15 for one week. The prepaid plans works anywhere within Xfinity’s coverage area, and while there’s no credit check involved, you do have to be 18 years or older to sign up. The partnership also gives Boost Mobile customers $5 off refills.

The announcement comes after Verizon launched its own Fios prepaid internet service earlier this month, offering speeds of up to 25 Mbps for $60 a month. This service, however, comes bundled with TV and phone, which some customers might not need. Other prepaid internet services currently available include mobile hotspots like the Karma Go, which runs on Sprint’s LTE network with download speeds ranging from 6 to 25 Mbps, depending on your location, though data is available to only one user at a time (other users logging on the same hotspot network require their own prepaid account.) Karma’s service also works on a pay-per-data model, which requires refills by the gigabyte.

At launch, customers will be able to find the Xfinity starter kits at Boost Mobile stores around Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The company plans to roll out the kits to all 4,000 stores (that are within Comcast’s coverage area) by the end of the year.

Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.