Why Doesnt Youjizz Show Your Upload Views

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

But while upload use on Comcast's network quickly grows—driven largely by videoconferencing amongst people working and learning at domicile—the nation's largest dwelling-Internet provider with over 30 meg customers advertises its speed tiers as if uploading doesn't exist. Comcast'southward 56 per centum increment in upstream traffic fabricated me wonder if the company will increase upload speeds whatsoever time soon, so I checked out Comcast'southward 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 system today and found no mention of upload speeds anywhere. Fifty-fifty clicking "pricing & other info" and "view plan details" links to read the fine print on various Cyberspace plans didn't reveal upload speeds.

Fifty-fifty subsequently adding a plan to the cart and going through most of the checkout procedure, I could non find whatever mention of upload speeds. I got to the point where y'all accept to enter credit card information to continue, and then I initially stopped there. I subsequently confirmed that Comcast'due south ordering system will show upload speeds subsequently it checks whether your credit card is valid, in the final page where y'all submit an order.

Deliberately keeping customers in the dark

I've long known that it'due south hard to find upload speeds on Comcast's website, but I'm not sure exactly when it became virtually impossible. At that place were complaints about this very trouble on Comcast's customer back up forums in 2020 and in 2019, though. "What is my upload speed now? No where in the earth tin I find documentation," 1 customer asked. The answer was that existing customers tin can find upload speeds for their ain program in their account settings afterwards logging in and navigating to the correct section.

But that does non help people who are signing up for service and want to find out what upload speeds they'll go 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 conspicuously a deliberate attempt to keep customers in the dark. This gallery shows how the Comcast Xfinity website displays Internet plans without mentioning upload speeds and continues that tactic through well-nigh the entire checkout procedure:

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

• Comcast has a tool that lets you compare 2 plans—but it doesn't show the plans' unlike upload speeds.

  Comcast

• After adding a plan to the cart, you tin can start the checkout process. No upload speeds are in sight.

  Comcast

• We still don't know what the upload speeds are, but Comcast tells the states about its "Flex" streaming box.

  Comcast

• Now we tin can select an installation date and time, but upload speeds still are not revealed.

  Comcast

• Now you take to enter your credit card information—merely later on doing then will Comcast let you see the 300Mbps download program's 10Mbps upload speeds.

  Comcast

Thankfully, the third-party website CableTV.com lists both download and upload speeds, showing that Comcast's 25Mbps download programme comes with 3Mbps uploads; the 100Mbps and 200Mbps download plans both have 5Mbps uploads; the 300Mbps download plan has 10Mbps uploads; the 600Mbps plan has 15Mbps uploads; and the 1Gbps download (1.2Gbps in some areas) comes with 35Mbps:

Overstate / Comcast speeds and prices, no thanks to Comcast's website.

Comcast's website does list the 35Mbps upload speeds for the gigabit program at this page, merely I couldn't find annihilation similar for Comcast'southward other cable-Internet plans. Comcast likewise offers a cobweb-to-the-home service with 2Gbps speeds both downstream and upstream. But Comcast'southward residential cobweb requires installation charges of upwards to $500, and the service costs $300 a month, which is more than than three times every bit much as the gigabit-cable programme that has 35Mbps downloads.

Comcast, why did you make this so hard?

I contacted Comcast today with two main questions: is there any fashion to discover upload speeds on Comcast'south website before submitting an guild for Internet service, and does Comcast accept whatever plans to raise its cable upload speeds?

Comcast'southward answer on where to find upstream speeds was as 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 Net with downstream overwhelmingly dominating usage, but upstream speeds are included in your cart and are visible upon check out when you submit your society.

Despite Comcast claiming that "upstream speeds are included in your cart," I could discover no testify of this. Adding a Comcast Cyberspace plan to the cart and and so clicking the cart icon brought me to an ordering page that does not 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 exact steps I need to take to make upload speeds bear witness upward in the cart. It turns out the upload speeds never show upward in the cart at all unless you define "cart" to include the entire ordering process. Comcast told united states of america the upload speeds volition finally appear "when y'all are at the footstep when you review your society."

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

Enlarge / The last page in Comcast's ordering organisation.

Xfinity.com

At this page, with Comcast having already verified your card, you tin view upload speeds and make up one's mind whether to submit the order or leave the ordering arrangement. The part of Comcast's statement that upload speeds are "visible upon check out when you submit your order" is thus accurate. Only refusing to tell a prospective customer what they're paying for until afterward they submit credit carte information is simply ridiculous. You can probably become upload speeds earlier by asking a Comcast rep in an online chat or phone call, simply that shouldn't be necessary.

Update: After excavation through Comcast'due south list of customer agreements, policies, and disclosures, I plant a at present-outdated network management page that includes download and upload speeds. Information technology appears to exist the newest such list available on Comcast's website, but it was published on Baronial xix, 2019 and the listed speeds don't friction match Comcast's 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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