Comcast announces Xfinity prepaid internet and TV service

Comcast today announced Xfinity Prepaid Services, a pay-as-you-go offering that lets customers buy TV or internet service and add refills for either seven or 30 days.

Both the TV and internet service starter kits sell separately for $80 each. The internet starter kit includes a Wi-Fi gateway and 30 days of service at 10 Mbps. The TV starter kit comes with a set-top, remote, 30 days of service and a channel package including local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC channels along with AMC, CNN, Discovery, USA and more (more than 45 channels total). A more expensive $120 TV starter kit expands the channel package to more than 140 channels and includes network not available in the other package including ESPN, ESPN 2, TBS and TNT.

Comcast said that customers who sign up for both TV and internet services at the same time will receive a discount. For both the internet and TV services, refills run $15 for seven days and $45 for 30 days.

Comcast is not requiring contracts or credit checks in order to sign up for the services.

Comcast said the service will be available later this year in Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Indiana, and will extend to the rest of Comcast's footprint by the end of 2017.

In addition to the new service, Comcast announced a partnership with Boost Mobile that will allow Comcast to sell Xfinity Prepaid in select Boost Mobile locations for now and all 4,400 Boost locations in Comcast's footprint by the end of 2017.

Comcast has reportedly had a prepaid product in the testing phase for years now.

The new Xfinity Prepaid TV product is similar to the Flex TV offering that Dish Network sells.

Comcast's move into prepaid services -- an offering common with mobile operators -- comes as the MSO is taking steps toward establishing its own mobile service offering. Comcast recently confirmed the creation of a new Comcast Mobile unit and has said it is testing service options as it intends to exercise an MVNO agreement with Verizon.

For more:
- read this press release

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