Comcast starts throttling mobile video, will charge extra for HD streams

Enlarge / Comcast's mobile offerings come by reselling Verizon service. (credit: Comcast)

Comcast's Xfinity Mobile service is imposing new speed limits on video watching and personal hotspot usage, and the company will start charging extra for high-definition video over the cellular network.

The short version is that videos will be throttled to 480p (DVD quality) on all Comcast mobile plans unless you pay extra, while Comcast's "unlimited" plan will limit mobile hotspot speeds to 600kbps. Only customers who pay by the gigabyte will get full-speed tethering, but the cost would add up quickly as Comcast charges $12 for each gigabyte.

Comcast last year began selling mobile plans with data, voice, and texting. Comcast doesn't operate its own cellular network, so it resells Verizon Wireless service.

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