Glass Incident: Frequently Asked Questions for Wildfire-Impacted Customers

4 months ago

The Glass Incident in Napa and Sonoma counties has now burned approximately 48,440 acres. The fire has been active for two days and is currently two percent contained. Many people, including some of our employees, have been evacuated during this time. We know that these individuals and others who have been affected may have questions about their Comcast services, read our frequently asked questions below:

Q: I’ve had to evacuate. Is there any way I can access my Xfinity services?

A: Yes, Xfinity WiFi hotspots are open to help residents and emergency personnel stay connected. Access is available to anyone who needs it, including non-Xfinity customers. To access local Xfinity WiFi hotspots:

For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located at small businesses and in outdoor locations such as shopping districts and parks, please visit xfinity.com/wifi.
Once at a hotspot, select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
Xfinity Internet customers can sign in with their username and password, and they will be automatically connected at Xfinity WiFi hotspots in the future.
Non-Xfinity Internet subscribers should visit the “Not an Xfinity Internet Customer” section on the sign-in page to get started. Non-customers will be able to renew their complimentary sessions every two hours.
If you are prompted for a password or other login credentials, then you are attempting to access an Xfinity WiFi hotspot that is located in a home, not in a business or outdoor location. This hotspot is not a part of the free Xfinity WiFi access program.

In addition, you can use the following Xfinity apps:

Stream TV

Xfinity TV customers can watch live TV and Xfinity On Demand on any device in home and while out of the house.
If you’re an X1 DVR customer, you can also stream or download your DVR recordings to your device and watch anywhere.

My Account

The easy way to check for service outages, troubleshoot or refresh your equipment, and manage your Xfinity account anywhere, anytime.

Comcast Business customers can visit business.comcast.com/myaccount.

Connect

XFINITY Voice Unlimited customers can stay connected on the go with the XFINITY Connect app.
Check your Comcast.net email, make and receive voice calls and check your XFINITY voicemail all in one place.
Answer your home phone calls and forward calls from your home phone to your smartphone.

Xfinity Home

Xfinity Home customers can stay connected anytime, anywhere.
Remotely arm and disarm your system.
Set rules to get real-time text and email alerts when alarms are triggered and motion is detected.
Customers with cameras installed have access to remote video monitoring.

Customers can text APP to 266278 (COMCST) to download any of these apps.

Q: What should I do if my Xfinity service is down?

A: If your service is down, check My Account or the Status Center first to see if there’s a known outage in your area. If it shows an outage for your address, there is no need to call, as we’re monitoring our network and will work quickly to restore your service as soon as conditions are safe. You may notice some temporary service interruptions while our technicians work to get everything repaired.

If you are experiencing a loss of Xfinity services due to severe weather conditions, please be aware that this could be the result of a local power outage and/or damage to our network that serves your neighborhood. We will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore your service, but please be aware that we typically must wait for local power companies to first restore power to your neighborhood and for local authorities to allow our teams into the area to repair our network. It is possible that power could be restored to your home but the Xfinity network serving your neighborhood is still affected, preventing Xfinity services from working. Also, power must be restored at your home before Xfinity services can work properly.

Comcast Business customers can visit business.comcast.com/myaccount

Q: What if my power is out?

A: If you are experiencing a loss of Xfinity services due to severe weather conditions, please be aware that this could be the result of a local power outage and/or damage to our network that serves your neighborhood since our services require commercial power to operate. We will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore your service, but please be aware that we typically must wait for local power companies to first restore power to your neighborhood and for local authorities to allow our teams into the area to repair our network. It is possible that local power could be restored to your home but the Xfinity network serving your neighborhood is still affected, preventing Xfinity services from working.

Q: I have power, but my Xfinity services are out. Why don’t I have Xfinity services?

A: If you are experiencing a loss of Xfinity services due to severe weather conditions, please be aware that this could be the result of a local power outage and/or damage to our network that serves your neighborhood. We will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore your service, but please be aware that we typically must wait for local power companies to first restore power to your neighborhood and for local authorities to allow our teams into the area to repair our network. It is possible that power could be restored to your home but the Xfinity network serving your neighborhood is still affected, preventing Xfinity services from working.

Please be assured that we are working to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Get outage updates for your area and information about your Xfinity service by visiting My Account, using the Xfinity My Account app, or checking the Status Center.

Comcast Business customers can visit business.comcast.com/myaccount.

Q: The power has been restored in my home. How can I get my Xfinity services back up and running?

A: You can try unplugging your Xfinity equipment from its power source, waiting 5 seconds, and plugging your equipment back into the power source.

Or, you can also use Xfinity My Account or the My Account app to reboot your equipment.

Q: I have TV service but it goes in and out and the picture quality is not as good as usual.

A: Temporary fluctuations in your TV service may occur throughout the restoration period. You may experience brief losses of your TV services or degradation of picture quality while we are working to restore Xfinity services.

Q: My neighbor has TV, Internet and Voice services but I do not.

A: Even though your neighbor may have service, it’s possible that your home receives its Xfinity connection from another part of our network that has been affected by the severe weather. Crews will restore services as quickly as possible.

Check My Account, the Xfinity My Account app, or the Status Center to see if an outage has been reported for your address. If your services are out, but it’s not reported, please notify us of your outage within My Account or by calling 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489).

Comcast Business customers can visit business.comcast.com/myaccount.

Preparing for PSPS Events

Many of us are looking forward to a return to some form of normalcy as we work to rebuild and recover from the public health crisis. Californians are clever, resilient and optimistic people and we will find joy in every season no matter what happens.

While this year will probably feel very different, one thing that will, unfortunately, remain consistent is the threat of wildfires. June 1 was the official start of fire season and at Comcast we are working tirelessly to ensure we continue to serve our customers.

Concurrent with fire season, in many parts of California, we anticipate planned power outages – called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) – during this time, which runs from June through November. When gusty winds and dry conditions are forecasted, combined with a heightened fire risk, electricity providers pre-emptively turn off the power to protect the public.

Comcast’s Internet, TV and landline telephone services for homes and businesses require commercial power to operate. During a PSPS event, these Comcast services may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off. Mobile phone service may also be affected by a PSPS event.

Comcast understands this disruption to services is frustrating and has a major impact on people’s lives and businesses. The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority and Comcast takes care during PSPS events to ensure public safety.

Comcast also takes care during PSPS events to ensure we’re keeping our customers informed. We’ve sent a letter and an email to our customers with important information about how to keep informed during wildfire season.

You may also see public service announcements on your local news channel reminding you how these power outages may affect your services.

Here are a few things you can do now to be prepared:

Confirm your contact information at xfinity.com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Account to check if your service has been restored.
Comcast Business customers can check their My Account app or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
Visit the Comcast California Blog where we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions. On the blog, we’ve launched a special PSPS web page where you can get additional information.
Follow us on Twitter — our handle is @ComcastCA and we regularly post valuable updates.

Even if power is off, Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe.

A Look Back at 2020: Our Year in Review

3 weeks ago

Photo caption (Left to Right): Chinese New Year Parade in January 2020, Lift Zones announcement at Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County, a Comcast technician examines an area after it had been burned from a wildfire, Comcast Leaders & Achievers scholarship winner, Black Joy Parade attendees in February 2020, Comcast’s accessibility leader joins a virtual LightHouse for the Blind event. Across the company and […]