What is the best way to obtain free Xfinity WiFi without paying?
A low-income Internet Essentials bundle, which includes two months of free internet, is available from the corporation.
Although it is not high-speed, it will assist individuals in staying connected to the internet as more schools cancel courses and businesses urge employees to work from home.
The internet service speed for the program has been enhanced to 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads.
That boost will take effect immediately and will serve as the program’s new baseline speed in the future.
Xfinity WiFi hotspots will be available for free to anyone who needs them, including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers, around the country.
Select the “xfinitywifi network name” from the list of accessible hotspots once you’ve arrived at a hotspot, and then open a browser.
Comcast is also suspending customer data plans for 60 days, offering all customers free unlimited bandwidth.
If a consumer contacts them and tells them they can’t pay their bills during this time, the company says it won’t cut their internet service or charge them late fees.
Is it possible to receive Comcast internet without paying for cable TV?
People want to watch TV shows when and where they want, and Comcast has recognized this. They merely need an internet connection to do so. To that aim, Comcast is making its low-cost Xfinity home internet-only plans available to potential customers across the United States.
Is there free WiFi from Comcast?
Is it going to cost anything? All Xfinity Mobile customers, as well as eligible* Xfinity Internet customers, get Xfinity WiFi at no extra cost.
What is the speed of Comcast’s $10 internet?
Comcast is increasing the speed of its Internet Essentials subscription, a $10-per-month internet connection for low-income families. New and existing users will be able to obtain download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5 Mbps starting March 1st. The news is part of the company’s aim to “bridge the digital divide” by addressing “digital literacy and the homework gap.” This is the second time in recent months that Comcast has increased the speed of Internet Essentials, which was increased to 25/3 Mbps in March 2020 in response to COVID-19.
The corporation is also offering to provide free, high-speed WiFi to 1,000 community centers across the country as part of the campaign. These “Lift Zones” are designed to provide a safe environment for children to access the internet, allowing them to access remote learning and finish homework when they are not at school. According to the corporation, it will reach its objective of 1,000 Lift Zones by the end of 2021, well ahead of schedule.
What are my options for getting free internet?
There are government initiatives for low-income households that can make internet access more affordable, in addition to ISP emergency response programs. Check out our in-depth look at government initiatives for free and low-cost internet to learn more about these programs and how to apply.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) contributes $30 per month to a household’s internet bill, with expanded support of up to $75 per month available for households on Tribal land or in high-cost locations. 11
If at least one member of your home fits the following conditions, you may be eligible for the ACP:
- Meets the criteria for the Lifeline Program.
- Is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) approved? (SBP)
- Has been awarded a Pell Grant for the current academic year
- Is currently qualified for low-income programs offered by select providers.
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or WIC (WIC) benefits
This program will take the role of the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, which was established in 2021 to assist those affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.
The monthly benefit has been reduced, and some of the qualifications have altered, which are the key changes between the two schemes. WIC-eligible families are now eligible for the ACP, whereas a significant loss of income in 2020 will disqualify a household from participation. The maximum income threshold for qualified households has also been raised from 135 percent to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. 11 The ACP became effective on December 31, 2021.
Emergency Broadband Benefit
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a new government assistance program called the Emergency Broadband Benefit in 2021. (EBB). 7 This initiative was created to assist low-income families who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Households that qualify could save up to $75 per month on their internet expenses. In addition, the program offered a one-time discount of up to $100 off the purchase of various internet gadgets such as laptops and tablets.
The EBB program ended on December 31, 2021, and the Affordable Connectivity Program took its place.
What is the best way to get free WiFi at home?
Where Can I Get Free WiFi?
- Share the Internet connection on your smartphone.
- Use a database app for hotspots.
- Invest in a portable router.
- Popular WiFi Hotspots can be found here.
- Look for WiFi networks that are hidden.
Is it possible to get rid of Comcast TV while keeping my internet?
Let’s get started with the steps to canceling your account online now that you have your reasons ready. However, we’ll caution you that breaking up online isn’t any easier than breaking up over the phone.
You’ll need to log in to your Xfinity subscription on a computer or laptop to fill out a cancellation form (it’ll be easier this way). Within two business days, a representative should contact you.
However, you should be aware that it’s possible that you’ll have to wait longer than two days, or that you’ll have to phone Xfinity to see if they’ve received your cancellation form.
This former Xfinity customer claimed she sent two cancellation forms, but the personnel claimed they never got either. Allowing Xfinity to take advantage of your money and time is not a good idea. Make a clean break as soon as possible.
If you’re wondering if you can keep your Xfinity Internet service while canceling your TV package, the answer is yes.
If you cancel your package, you won’t get as good of an internet price, but you’ll still save money because you won’t have to pay for a cable TV service you don’t use.
If I don’t have service, how can I obtain WiFi?
In some cases, your telecommunications provider fails, and you are unable to access to the internet using your data. For instance, if you decide to go camping in the countryside where there is no service, is there any way to connect to the internet?
It is possible to connect to the internet even if there is no service available. There are numerous approaches that can be utilized. A Wi-Fi USB dongle, satellite internet, cable network, mobile router, and more options are available. They must be planned ahead of time and cannot be employed on the spur of the moment.
It can be difficult to obtain a connection to the internet if you’re stuck in a circumstance where you can’t connect to WiFi at home or use your data on your phone because there is no service.
Guan Yang said,
When I stayed at the Doubletree in Honolulu (part of the Hilton group) in January, internet connection was genuinely free in the lobby. The secret was to get on to their wireless network in the lobby and then take your laptop up to your room, where it remained online and free.
Andy Hollandbeck said,
Did it start with something like “Gosh, you look handsome today!” when you initially tried to log on and were asked to agree to a $9.99 charge? It would still be complimentary in such situation.
Garth Williamson said,
In New Zealand, this is almost certainly a violation of the Fair Trading Act. I’ve never heard the word complimentary used for something that wasn’t a freebie or a bonus.
Karen said,
This is a rather common situation. Of course, they may claim that the phrase “in the lobby” covered them.
What’s funny (kind of) is that this is only done in the most opulent hotels. The ones in the middle of the pricing range provide free Internet access. The Hiltons and Marriotts, on the other hand, expect their customers to be on business and will shrug off the extra $10.
Clarissa said,
I concur with you. I would have expected a very limited-range network in the lobby that was free to use *in the lobby* whether or not you had paid for it in your room. In a number of hotels, I’ve encountered exactly same issue, explained and sold in just this wording. It’s ludicrous that they think it signifies something different. I would have been quite disappointed if I had found out about their wacky interpretation.
However, I’ve discovered that the “nicer” the hotel, the more money you have to spend for internet connection (not to mention parking). It’s quite aggravating.
On second thought, I don’t think they’re protected, unless it states something like “paying visitors can access the Internet for no additional price”… I understand why they don’t want everyone in town hanging out in their lobby, but the last time I stayed in the UK, they gave out password-protected slips to those who had signed up.
John Cowan said,
The network’s cost is not zero; that’s the marginal cost, which would determine the pricing in a perfect competition situation, but a wireless network inside a hotel is about as far from perfect competition as one can imagine. Instead, the hotel sets the access price such that the network they’ve put up is used, with a safety buffer in case something goes wrong. If they reduced the price, there would be an influx of users, necessitating network expansion. If they increased the price, there would be insufficient users to justify the network’s cost.
Pricing, on the other hand, is mostly a black art that defies microeconomic predictions.
Dmajor said,
I’ve spent a lot of time in negotiations with various merchants, trying to find some expression that means “actually and really free, at no cost to me, as if I had come in naked, with no pockets, and thus no cash, and could not pay for anything, it would still be okaythat kind of no charge no fees no payment free.” However, there appears to be no English word combination that can be depended on by a salesperson/hotel representative/merchant to convey the straightforward meaning of “you will not have to give us any money at all.” Any word that appears to have that meaning might be translated to mean “you owe us money” in some way. It’s very incredible. According to one source, Americans have over 30 different words for “no charge,” all of which indicate “some price.”
david said,
I believe it’s more likely that it’s the product of someone making a mistake than that it was done on purpose to deceive you. Perhaps the person who wrote the blurb didn’t mean ‘free,’ but simply wanted to use a good adjective before ‘high-speed internet connection,’ so he chose one he’d heard before and assumed meant ‘handy.’ Perhaps he didn’t understand the distinction between complementary and complementary. Maybe the hotel’s IT person didn’t realize the lobby wireless wasn’t supposed to be the same as the room wifi when he put up the network. Perhaps the receptionists were supposed to retain a password at their desk, as Karen mentioned is common in the UK.
bfwebster said,
When you see “complimentary wireless access” in an airport, it means exactly what it says: it’s free (though often with annoying ads). In terms of Hilton’s goal, it sounds like blatant weasel-marketing fudging to me, but, as Napoleon (or whoever said it first) said, do not attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence…bruce.
Stephen Jones said,
When you see “complimentary wireless access” in an airport, it means exactly what it says: it’s free.
The word is ‘complimentary,’ not ‘complementary.’ It came with something else if it was the latter.
Ellen said,
“Complimentary High-Speed Internet Connectivity on the Lobby Level” does not imply wireless access on your own computer, as I assumed. There are a few additional options that might work. However, I assumed it meant no charge, and I agree that if you have to pay to use it, it’s not free.
Andrew Philpot said,
I once purchased a car stereo that was touted as having “free installation” in the store. “How much will the free installation cost?” I asked the clerk at the shop as I carried my box around to the installation area. “Thirty bucks,” said the deadpan reply. To make it fit into the dash, you’ll need this flimsy little bracket… I’d like to believe that the counter person and I had an ironic, knowing exchange about the whole concept of free=gratis=complimentary=not really, but I’m not sure.
Bobbie said,
So you received your money back (after the assistant manager amended your bill), but everyone else still has to pay! I believe that their payment method should be adjusted for everyone, not just picky linguists.
Craig Russell said,
My father likes to relate the tale of how, as he and my mother were leaving the hospital and signing the final bill, they went through the itemized expenses and discovered the following: Bag of Gifts My father inquired as to what that meant to the person behind the counter. She said that it was a package containing a few diapers and other necessities that they had received. “How can it be a *gift* bag if you’re charging me (insert sum that is too much to pay for a few diapers and other necessities in 1980 money) for it?” my father questioned. “But it doesn’t mention FREE gift bag,” the woman responded after looking at him, looking at the bill, thinking about it.
Geoff, tell us about the recording you’re doing for The Teaching Company. I used to listen to their lectures all the time when I had to drive a longer distance to work, and I thought they were fairly nice. What’s yours, and do you get a discount if you’ve been using Language Log for a while?
Neal Goldfarb said,
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a disgrace that Geoff was able to get free access. He could have been a plaintiff in a large class action lawsuit against Hilton Hotels if he had only paid the $9.99. The lawsuit would have ended with a settlement in which the lawyers would have gotten a million dollars and the victims of the class action would have received coupons for a $5 discount on their complimentary internet connection during their next stay at a Hilton (two-night minimum stay required).
Skullturf Q. Beavispants said,
This essay reminds me of something on math professor Doug Shaw’s website. It’s about linguistics, generally construed, in the sense that it’s about communication tactics that convince you to believe something is free when it actually costs money. At the conclusion, there’s a neat little twist (pun sorta intended).
Fluxor said,
Are you sure there wasn’t a business center with free (but wired) Internet access on the lobby level? It appears that many hotels, even the “good” ones, have such amenities.
Richard Wein said,
I can’t help but point out that the Hilton was using the term “complimentary” in the traditional marketing sense of “included in the price of something else.” Lobby internet access was included in the purchase of bedroom internet access in this scenario. If the arrangement had gone as Geoff had hoped, lobby internet access would have been included in the price of the room.
The issue is that this use of “complimentary” implies an implied reference to something else in the price of which the item is included, but that something else is sometimes not specified clearly. A sensible individual might presume that the something else in this scenario is the bedroom based on previous experience, but this isn’t always the case. The Hilton’s message was deceptive, but not in the sense that it used the word “complimentary” incorrectly.
Alternatively, “complimentary” could indicate “offered to all our clients at no additional cost,” in which case the Hilton’s usage was incorrect. However, I believe it is pretty usual to use the term in a more limited sense. For example, my health club has a premium membership plan that includes “complimentary” guest passes that must be paid for by normal members, thus this benefit is not available to all clients.
Tom Saylor said,
You’re not very descriptive. You must recognize and accept that words have different meanings depending on who uses them. Prescriptivism is merely a load of nonsense when it comes to insisting that words never be used for anything other than what you think they must signify. These criticisms of the hotel’s usage of the word “complimentary” sound eerily similar to the gasps of disgust heard from some places anytime the phrase “begs the question” is applied to something other than a very specific type of logical argument.
Sili said,
You’ll receive one (1) complimentary ticket for an 80% discount on your Language Log subscription if you simply send proof of purchase (in triplicate) to 1 Language Log Plaza.
DyspepticSceptic said,
For more on these and related themes, watch the first half of BBC’s “Fast Track” computer programme (now on BBC World as I type at 2045 hours Beijing and Hong Kong time on October 27). All of the hotels, restaurants, and other establishments appear to be involved…
language hat said,
I believe it’s more likely that it’s the product of someone making a mistake than that it was done on purpose to deceive you.
You appear to be a kind soul with a decent heart, but I can promise you that megacorporations like Hilton do not make such errors.
If you don’t believe me, consider the fact that, as others have stated, this practice is commonplace in high-end hotels.
Are they all making the same “error” at the same time?
You’re not very descriptive. You must recognize and accept that words have different meanings depending on who uses them. Prescriptivism is merely a load of nonsense when it comes to insisting that words never be used for anything other than what you think they must signify.
Your ironic effort is tedious and unfunny.
Are you going to point out that, while supporting bad English, Language Log authors continue to write in good English?
Oh, my goodness!
Nathan said,
This year, I’ve stayed in three hotels, and the WiFi has always been complimentary. I don’t even consider the posh locations because I’m on a budget. However, all three locations I’ve stayed have provided visitors with free access to a desktop computer on the ground floor with high-speed Internet access. “Complimentary high-speed Internet access on the lobby level” was my first interpretation.
Of course, Hilton’s use of the word “complimentary” is standard marketing talk, which loves to promote minor details as consumer perks (who’d think a wifi access point you can connect to from your room would be unavailable in the lobby?). However, it’s interesting to see that ritzy hotels charge extra for services that low-cost hotels give as standard. Is there a charge for a “continental breakfast” as well? How about a roll of toilet paper?
parse said,
We are not required to collect sales tax when we sell things to consumers who intend to resell them. Because the state only has one right to collect sales tax, if the retailer collects it from the end user, the wholesaler isn’t required to collect it from the retailer.
The hotel must submit us a form showing that the items were purchased for resale in order to avoid a tax charge on our invoices. We don’t collect sales tax from them since some hotels define turndown chocolates as an item purchased by visitors along with their room. Others characterize them as a gratuity given to hotel guests who pay for their stay; the hotels receive sales tax on their bill.
As far as I’m aware, the tax department considers both interpretations to be correct. According to reports, some hotels provide complimentary chocolates, while others require you to purchase them without realizing it.
People are speculating (half-jokingly) that if this trend continues, there will be a charge to use the restrooms as well. Airlines, like hotels, are moving into a phase where they’re attempting to charge extra for whatever they can, such as checking bags, food and beverages, and so on.
However, unlike hotels, they appear to be more inclined to tack on these fees for economy passengers, while first-class passengers receive more amenities for free.
Janice Huth Byer said,
Virginia 2005. My hospital roommate complained about the meals to me. Overhearing, our nurse yelled, “You have no right to complain. Meals are provided free of charge.”
Sure, the hospital bill would eventually feature a pricey daily prix fixe for “room and board.”
Because my insured roommate had missed an entire day of “board” due to the length of her surgery, the nurse’s remark was a falsehood to the second power. The goal of the lie, on the other hand, struck us both as absurd. Who says you can’t complain about free food?
The discussion brought to mind a scenario from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, in which our eponymous heroine is asked if she’d want more tea after being knocked down during the serving at a tea party.
“I haven’t had anything yet, so I can’t take any more,” she grumbles.
She is corrected by the Mad Hatter: “You’re implying that you won’t accept anything less. It’s all too simple to take more than you need.”