Xfinity vs TDS: Extra Fees and Contracts
Installation
If your home is already wired for Xfinity’s service, then you can choose free self-installation. You can simply have the tools and instructions shipped to you, or you can choose to pick it up. However, if your home needs wiring installed, a technician will need to come to your home and you can expect to pay a $90 fee for professional installation.
Depending on the plan you choose from TDS Telecom, you may be eligible for free installation, or a setup fee of $14.95, which includes professional installation where a technician will come out and install any wiring for you. If not, you may need to pay $49.95 for professional installation.
Contracts, Equipment Fees & Fine Print
Although it’s more cost-effective to sign a 1-2 year contract with Xfinity, if you break this contract early, it will result in an early termination fee of $5 – $10 for every month that is left in your contract. If you know you’ll need to break your contract before it is up, you can choose to go contract-free for an additional monthly fee of $10. The xFi Gateway, which is Xfinity’s modem and router, costs $14 per month. Xfinity allows customers to use their own compatible equipment; however, you won’t receive the same benefits of using their equipment, such as smart features, tech support, and upgrades.
While most of TDS Telecom’s plans require a 2-year contract, all of their plans offer a 30-day money-back-guarantee trial. If you choose to end your service with TDS Telecom within that 30-day period, you need to make sure you cancel it before those days are up and ask for your money back as well. If you break your contract early, you may be responsible for an early termination fee. The monthly prices to rent equipment from TDS Telecom varies from $6.95-$12.95 depending on which plan you’ve chosen.
Data Caps
All of Xfinity’s plans come with no data caps. However, depending on the area you live in, your plan may have a very high data cap 1 TB. While most people won’t reach this in a month, if you feel that your household may exceed it, you can add unlimited data for an extra $30 per month. If you end up going over the 1 TB cap, Xfinity will automatically add on an additional 50 GB for $10.
TDS Telecom offers unlimited data on all of its plans, but similar to Xfinity, this depends on where you live. If you do not live in an area that receives unlimited data, then you may have a data cap of 250 GB.
