It’s the holiday season, a time of gratitude, joy and connection. Whether it’s gathering with friends and family over a festive meal, celebrating another year with coworkers at a company party or just catching up with those closest to you – even if they’re miles away – the holidays are meant to be shared, and Comcast can help.

“We know how important staying connected with friends and family is, especially during the holidays,” said Rigo Topete, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Comcast Pacific Northwest.

Here are five tips on how to stay connected this holiday season.

1. Hang out (virtually) – Can’t fly over to Mom and Dad’s for Christmas this year? Don’t panic. It’s pretty easy these days to plan video calls and virtual get-togethers. Get creative and use a video call to read a story to your child or grandchild. Maybe connect with those old college friends spread across the country for happy hour. Or watch a movie together. Just make sure you have fast, reliable internet. For example, Comcast offers plans that start at 150 megabytes per second, which are perfect for video calls. Don’t yet have a monthly internet plan? Comcast’s NOW Internet is a low-cost, reliable, pay-as-you-go internet service.
2. Make the call – It’s always nice to hear the voices of loved ones and share texts and photos this time of year. And with a lot of people traveling during the holidays, it’s vital to have a reliable mobile plan no matter where you might be in the world. Talking to your kids, old friends or just sending the latest memes all helps keep us connected, especially when separated from those we love. Xfinity Mobile, available to Comcast internet customers, has unlimited or By the Gig data and fast, high-priority mobile speeds. Plus, customers who sign up for Xfinity Mobile can save on their internet plan. Comcast also offers NOW Mobile, affordable monthly plans with unlimited talk, text and data, as well as access to millions of free Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country.
3. Gather ‘round – A Christmas Story. Christmas Vacation. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The list of favorite holiday movies and shows goes on and on. It wouldn’t be the holidays without gathering around the TV to enjoy a classic together. With Xfinity, holiday movies and shows are at your fingertips, streaming on your favorite services through Xfinity Internet or on Xfinity X1, which offers live TV, DVR, sports and streaming. Your hardest decision will be how much popcorn to make.
4. Root for your team – Does your family have a favorite football team? Is your alma mater playing? Set up a video call to watch the game together or record it on your Xfinity DVR so that the whole family can watch it after dinner.
5. Game on – Online gaming continues to evolve and provides many gamers with opportunities to make friends and be social. Or you can play online games with family at home together, maybe in competition with one another. Playing online requires a reliable, fast connection with high bandwidth. Make sure your internet can handle it. Comcast has plans that range up to 2,000 Mbps, providing the best connections and experiences for online gamers.

These are just some of the ways to stay connected during the holidays, but it all requires a solid, reliable network for broadband internet and mobile phones. Make sure you choose a provider that hasn’t skimped on their network.

For example, Comcast boasts 99.9% reliability and even uses artificial intelligence to keep customers connected by fixing issues before they cause disruptions.

The company has also made major improvements to its technology in Washington, investing more than $1 billion in infrastructure – including to its broadband network – in recent years. Here in Snohomish County, that work has helped make services available to more than 1,500 homes and businesses for the holidays.

For more information on staying connected this holiday season, visit www.xfinity.com.