Most residence still have wired telephone connections despite the fact that mobile phones are almost in every home today. It is important to note that some of our readers might be interested in knowing if they can use their phone line to get Xfinity high-speed internet rather than cable or fiber optic. However, the answer to this question is no. Here is the elaboration for better understanding.
How Phone Lines Work for Landlines Distinguishing between Fixed Networks and Mobile Networks
POTS stands for Plain Old Telephone Internet service Provider and this is the most common form of telephone service where the actual voice is carried over copper wires from your phone all the way to the telephone pole outside your house. These are called twisted pair copper lines. It is a circuit switched system because the system provides dedicated circuits for individual calls.
While use of this technology is just okay for voice calls, it does not provide the bandwidth that today’s internet connections provide. For example, to receive even the most minimal of DSL internet, bandwidth capabilities exceed the capabilities of the phone line.
The primary challenge of using phone lines as the medium for accessing the Internet is that it is highly limited in terms of the speeds that can be achieved.
There are a few key reasons why phone lines don't support broadband Xfinity internet access
1. Not Enough Bandwidth: It was mentioned before that a single telephone line using twisted copper pair can only accommodate up to 56 Kbps of bandwidth under optimal conditions. It was okay back when all one needed was make a phone call but it was terribly slow for today’s internet connection including browsing, streaming videos, playing games etc.
2. Analogue and Digital Signals – It is important to note that phone lines use an analog signal to convey information while the internet conveys data using digital packets. Now, it is important to remember that analog signals do not mix well with more modern digital networks.
3. Absence of Bidirectional Signal Transmission - Internet link necessitates two-way signal flow between your device and the internet servers you connect with. Telephone networks are implemented with more reference to one way communication from the caller side towards the receiver end.
Rather try fiber optic or cable network
The internet service from Xfinity Channel Lineup is very fast and is made available through fiber optic cable or coaxial cable to be connected to your house. Though fiber is not common in most homes, coax is common in most homes and buildings.
Fiber internet provides future speed up to 2 Gbps for download and uploading of the file. However, with Xfinity coax cable internet connection, it is also possible to get internet speeds of 25 Mbps to well over 1Gbps based on the coverage area and subscription.
Xfinity largely depends upon the fiber optic and coaxial cables for broader network connection. This wiring to your neighborhood and home is necessary if you want to get Xfinity service because, without it, you will get nothing. Thus, Xfinity internet relies on phone lines as the primary infrastructure for the operation of their services; however, it cannot be delivered through traditional phone lines.
While similar to DSL in that it utilizes phone lines, there are several disadvantages to this type of connection.
There are other types of internet connection such as DSL (Digital Subscriber Link) which uses a phone line but it has to be filtered to obtain separate data channel. Nonetheless, DSL is not as fast as cable or fiber broadband and, therefore, it may have max connection speeds that do not exceed 100 Mbps.
DSL speeds depend on the distance a consumer is from a DSL provider’s hub; most consumers will manage 10-25 Mbps. It is one of the few forms of internet that is relatively slow compared to the current times, and therefore not suitable. That is why many people opt for faster cable Internet that is offered by Comcast, for example.
It is advisable to get your phone service through your internet if you are thinking of the long term costs of making the change.
Such services are increasingly being dropped from homes today as people opt for other means of communication. The lack of availability of unlimited call and text packages at reasonable prices of mobile providers has made landlines appear dated.
But if you still wish to have a home phone line together with your wanting high-speed Xfinity internet, then you are in for a treat. These include digital voice home phone services that are provided through a wired broadband connection rather than the conventional copper telephone line by providers such as Xfinity.
This VoIP system enables you to obtain phone service along with all these features: local and long distance calls to the United States, Canada and selected other countries for $20-$30 monthly. In VoIP call quality VoIP is as good if not better than the traditional POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).
As you can observe, while Xfinity internet access can no longer go over your phone lines, you can get your phone service through your Xfinity Internet for a perfect combination.
The Bottom Line
So to answer the question, no, in essence, you cannot have an Xfinity internet connection exclusively over your telephone line. However, if you subscribe to Xfinity Coaxial Cable internet or Xfinity fiber internet where available, you can also bundle Xfinity Voice telephone service. This enables one to combine services as the high capacity cables or fiber optic lines that you need to make home phone calls and those that offer very high internet speeds.
Call (844) 339-9555 to get a new Xfinity connection now!
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