![]() ![]() But the modem-rental requirement could make a free Flex device much more expensive in the long haul than buying your own modem and a different streaming device.Īt $13 a month, you'd be paying $156 a year on top of your basic Internet service costs to get the modem and streaming box. Gateway rental fees add upĬomcast's Flex device is similar to other streaming boxes in that it lets you access online services like Netflix, HBO, and Prime Video. AdvertisementĮnlarge / Comcast ordering page. You can't check the box labeled "Get Flex at no extra cost" unless you first check the box labeled "Add the xFi Gateway for $13.00/mo." If you do check both of those boxes but then change your selection to "No, I'll use my own modem and router," the "Get Flex at no extra cost" box is automatically unchecked, and you can't select it again unless you switch back to the modem/router rental option. Once you select an Internet plan and head through checkout, you'll see it's impossible to select the free Flex box without agreeing to pay $13 a month for the gateway. at no additional cost," but the instructions say customers must "select our xFi Gateway modem + router at checkout" in order to get the "free" device. The page says the Flex box is "included with Internet. You can verify this yourself by going to the Comcast Flex ordering page. But for now, it's still impossible to get the free streaming device without agreeing to rent the Comcast modem and router. The ability to connect to any Wi-Fi network is a standard feature in most streaming boxes, obviously. Comcast told us that a software update coming soon will let the Flex connect to any Wi-Fi network. A Comcast FAQ explains that the Flex box automatically connects to your Comcast Internet service once it's plugged into a power outlet, as long as the Comcast wireless gateway is operating. ![]() The Comcast spokesperson now says the ability to use your own router and avoid the fee is “coming imminently.”Ĭomcast told Ars the same thing today, that it is lifting the restriction very soon. But a month later, that requirement is still in place, and Comcast’s checkout interface has even been updated to emphasize that its streaming box, called Flex, is only included when you rent the company’s modem/router combo, the xFi Gateway. ![]() The Verge wrote:Īfter the free offer was announced last month, a Comcast spokesperson told me the rental requirement would be dropped “in the coming weeks” so that all Internet-only customers could get the device for free. The Verge yesterday published a story that details the problem. Comcast last month announced that it was giving its Flex streaming device to Internet-only customers for free, but the announcement did not mention one important detail: the "free" device is only given to Comcast broadband customers who spend $13 a month to rent Comcast's xFi Gateway modem/router. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |