When Comcast first announced the pricing details for its new Xfinity Mobile wireless service almost exactly a year ago, it said it would offer two unlimited pricing options: $65 per line on up to five lines, or $45 per line “for our customers with our best X1 packages.”
However, that $65-per-month option remains missing in action.
In a meeting at the recent Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, the company noted only that it has extended the $45 offer because it’s resonating with customers, adding that it’s still early and that the company would “continue to learn and adjust.”
When Comcast launched its commercial Xfinity Mobile service in the summer of last year, the company said it would offer the $45-per-month unlimited option to all of its customers for a limited time—likely to drive interest in the service. The action left the door open for Comcast to revive the $65-per-month option at a later date, as the company gained traction.
However, Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile continues to offer some of the best deals and pricing in the wireless industry, a situation that could reflect the company’s desire to continue to grow its base amid heated competition from other wireless companies like AT&T and T-Mobile.
Indeed, BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk noted recently that Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile continues to offer a $250 prepaid card for new customers who buy a Samsung phone, as well as a guaranteed trade-in value of at least $200 for other phones. “Comcast does not appear to be shying away from burning cash in order to enter the wireless business,” Piecyk noted.
“When setting up any new business line, you have to make investments,” explained Rui Costa, vice president of product management and customer experience for Xfinity Mobile.
Interestingly, Costa has said that Comcast’s Xfinity Mobile attended the recent MWC trade show in order to research new technology trends in the wireless industry. Indeed, Comcast has made it clear that Xfinity Mobile isn’t just another MVNO for Verizon, but is instead working to create new features and services that will set it apart from established wireless players. For example, Costa pointed to Xfinity Mobile’s new “Mobile's Phone Finder” feature, which allows customers to locate a misplaced Xfinity Mobile phone in their home by speaking “find my phone” into Comcast’s X1 Voice Remote.
Comcast added 250,000 wireless subscribers over the first four months of its Xfinity Mobile MVNO launch (and 187,000 net line additions in the fourth quarter), and investors believe the cable giant is on track to add more than 1 million wireless subscribers for the full-year 2018. However, BTIG’s Piecyk has noted that growth has come at a cost: $1,260 per customer, to be exact.