Why Is Comcast Upload Speed So Slow

Comcast only released a 2020 Network Performance Data report with stats on how much Net usage rose during the pandemic, and it said that upload apply is growing faster than download use. "Peak downstream traffic in 2020 increased approximately 38 percentage over 2019 levels and peak upstream traffic increased approximately 56 percent over 2019 levels," Comcast said.

But while upload use on Comcast'south network rapidly grows—driven largely by videoconferencing amidst people working and learning at habitation—the nation'south largest home-Cyberspace provider with over 30 million customers advertises its speed tiers as if uploading doesn't be. Comcast'due south 56 pct increment in upstream traffic made me wonder if the company will increase upload speeds any time presently, so 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-Internet 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 arrangement today and found no mention of upload speeds anywhere. Even clicking "pricing & other info" and "view programme details" links to read the fine print on various Net plans didn't reveal upload speeds.

Even later on adding a plan to the cart and going through nearly of the checkout process, I could not find whatsoever mention of upload speeds. I got to the point where you accept to enter credit card data to keep, and so I initially stopped in that location. I later confirmed that Comcast'due south ordering system will testify upload speeds after it checks whether your credit card is valid, in the final folio where you submit an order.

Deliberately keeping customers in the dark

I've long known that it'south hard to find upload speeds on Comcast's website, merely I'one thousand non certain exactly when it became virtually impossible. At that place were complaints about this very problem on Comcast's customer support forums in 2020 and in 2019, though. "What is my upload speed now? No where in the world can I find documentation," i client asked. The respond was that existing customers can find upload speeds for their own plan in their account settings later on logging in and navigating to the correct department.

But that does non aid people who are signing up for service and want to notice out what upload speeds they'll get or compare upload speeds of unlike plans. Even the Xfinity.com comparison tool that lets you lot compare details of different plans doesn't reveal their upload speeds. The absence of upload speeds from Comcast'south website is so thorough that it is clearly a deliberate attempt to proceed customers in the dark. This gallery shows how the Comcast Xfinity website displays Cyberspace plans without mentioning upload speeds and continues that tactic through nearly the entire checkout procedure:

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

• Comcast has a tool that lets you compare ii plans—just information technology doesn't prove the plans' dissimilar upload speeds.

  Comcast

• After adding a programme to the cart, yous tin can starting time the checkout process. No upload speeds are in sight.

  Comcast

• We however don't know what the upload speeds are, but Comcast tells u.s. almost its "Flex" streaming box.

  Comcast

• Now nosotros tin can select an installation date and time, but upload speeds all the same are non revealed.

  Comcast

• Now y'all have to enter your credit bill of fare information—only after doing and so will Comcast let you see the 300Mbps download programme's 10Mbps upload speeds.

  Comcast

Thankfully, the third-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 accept 5Mbps uploads; the 300Mbps download programme 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's website does list the 35Mbps upload speeds for the gigabit plan at this page, merely I couldn't find annihilation like for Comcast's other cable-Internet plans. Comcast also offers a cobweb-to-the-home service with 2Gbps speeds both downstream and upstream. But Comcast's residential fiber requires installation charges of up to $500, and the service costs $300 a calendar month, which is more than than 3 times as much as the gigabit-cable plan that has 35Mbps downloads.

Comcast, why did you make this and then hard?

I contacted Comcast today with two primary questions: is there whatsoever style to observe upload speeds on Comcast's website before submitting an club for Cyberspace service, and does Comcast have any plans to raise its cablevision upload speeds?

Comcast's reply on where to find upstream speeds was equally follows:

Our network report shows that, despite the growth in upstream traffic in 2020, patterns remain highly asymmetrical as downstream volumes were 14x higher than upstream throughout 2020. Our website reflects the way customers employ 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 challenge that "upstream speeds are included in your cart," I could discover no bear witness of this. Adding a Comcast Net plan to the cart and then clicking the cart icon brought me to an ordering page that does non mention upload speeds. I confirmed this behavior on Xfinity.com in both Chrome and Safari.

I circled back to the Comcast spokesperson and asked what verbal steps I demand to take to make upload speeds show up in the cart. Information technology turns out the upload speeds never show up in the cart at all unless you define "cart" to include the entire ordering procedure. Comcast told us the upload speeds will finally appear "when you are at the pace when you review your order."

Despite my earlier reluctance to enter my credit card data for service I am not ordering, I finally did then to bank check whether this is accurate. I submitted my address, phone number, and credit carte du jour information, and I clicked "Next." This triggered a step in which Comcast's system checked to encounter whether I had entered a valid credit card. I accidentally entered a recently expired menu number, and so Comcast's system "declined" my card and made me re-enter information technology. Later I entered a card number that Comcast could charge, I finally got to this page, where the 300Mbps download-plan's 10Mbps upload speeds are shown:

Enlarge / The last folio in Comcast's ordering system.

Xfinity.com

At this folio, with Comcast having already verified your card, you can view upload speeds and make up one's mind whether to submit the order or exit the ordering system. The role of Comcast's statement that upload speeds are "visible upon check out when yous submit your order" is thus accurate. Just refusing to tell a prospective customer what they're paying for until afterwards they submit credit card information is only ridiculous. You tin can probably go upload speeds earlier past asking a Comcast rep in an online chat or phone phone call, only that shouldn't be necessary.

Update: Later on digging through Comcast'south list of client agreements, policies, and disclosures, I found a now-outdated network management folio that includes download and upload speeds. It appears to be the newest such list available on Comcast's website, but information technology was published on August xix, 2019 and the listed speeds don't lucifer Comcast'south 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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