Comcast is putting new restrictions on its mobile phone service, Xfinity Mobile.
Now customers using the service will be limited in the quality of video they’re able to stream, and some will have speed limitations when sharing their device’s data through a hotspot with their computer.
Specifically, video streamed via Xfinify Mobile devices will soon be capped at 480p, a move Comcast claims will help users who are paying for data by the GB to conserve their data plan. Users can request an upgrade that would allow them to stream 720p video at no extra charge, but Comcast says it will eventually charge for the ability to stream higher-quality video, tech news site The Verge reports.
Customers on the company’s $45 per month unlimited plan who use their phones as mobile hotspots will also see a change. Now speeds for that data connection will be capped at 600kbps (i.e. very, very slow). Customers who pay by the GB for data will continue to receive 4G speeds.
Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile service has been available for nearly a year and has yet to make a large impact on the mobile industry as a whole.
