As a leading telecommunications company in the United State, AT&T has more than 125 million customers (TV + Internet + Wireless subscribers in US, 2018.). It is the second largest wireless service providers behind Verizon.
In addition, AT&T provides DSL and fiber-optic internet connections. The speed of their fiber-optic internet can reach up to 1000 Mbps, while the DSL’s top speed is 100 Mbps. The data is unlimited for the 1000 Mbps AT&T Fiber plan while for all other Internet plans the cap is 1TB (1 Terabyte).
Important Details Regarding AT&T Internet
AT&T’s Internet services include:
- Internet speeds ranging from 5 Mbps to 1000 Mbps (1000 Mbps = 1 Gbps)
- The data cap is 1TB for all plans except the unlimited 1000Mbps AT&T Fiber
- Fiber and advanced DSL technology
- Bundles with AT&T U-verse TV or DIRECTV, digital phone and Wireless services
AT&T’s connection is 99% reliable. The company offers numerous plans to suit every level of online activity. Furthermore, each of the plans comes with AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway (fancy name for a modem). To top it off, you can surf the web more safely with an Internet Security Suite from McAfee which comes included with most of the plans.
Even large families shouldn’t worry about data overages, but they should definitely keep track of their bandwidth usage. Overages cost an extra $10 for every 50GB, up to $100 per month for AT&T Internet and up to $200 for DSL and Fixed Wireless connections.
If unlimited data is a must, there are two ways of getting it:
- For $30/month, AT&T Internet customer can purchase an option of having unlimited data.
- Bundling AT&T Internet with services like DIRECTV or AT&T U-verse TV includes unlimited data which basically is a $30 savings per month.
The above options are only available for AT&T Internet, not DSL or Fixed Wireless Internet.
AT&T’s Internet services continue to attract more customers for their amazing value. You can get much lower prices if you bundle your internet service with a home phone, TV or Wireless service.
It’s also admirable that AT&T constantly adds new services and improves its existing services. The improvements included upgraded internet speeds in recent years. Moreover, the company placed second in customer satisfaction in the 2018 ACSI Telecommunications Report. Its main competitors are Verizon Fios and Comcast XFINITY. Spectrum and COX cable services are on the list as well.
AT&T’s Internet Plans and Prices
The pricing at AT&T is similar to other providers’, if not cheaper. However, there is a great difference between the fiber and the DSL plans. However, like all other internet providers AT&T is still in the process of building its fiber network. So for the time being, the easiest way to check if you are within the reach of their fiber network is to check the AT&T Internet service availability for your address.
Fiber Plans
There are currently four different fiber plans: 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps. Browsing the web at 1000 Mbps speed means that you can download a 90-minute HD movie in less than 7 seconds and upload 10 images or 4-minute HD video in less than a second. Lower speeds for fiber-only plans may be available, but those four would be the main offers, depending on the availability in your area.
Pricing is as follows:
- Internet 100 – $50/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if ordered within a bundle.
- Internet 300 – $70/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if ordered within a bundle.
- Internet 500 – $90/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if ordered within a bundle.
- Internet 1000 – $90/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if ordered within a bundle.
However, there’s a data cap on the first two packages. Only the 1000 Mbps plan’s data usage is unlimited. Note that plans 500 and 1000 are at the same price. That simply means if 1000 plan is available, 500 would not be offered, and vice versa.
All speed tiers are symmetrical which means the download/upload speeds are same.
DSL Internet Plans
The plans below have a 1TB monthly data limit, which is lifted for the bundles. As you might imagine, the speed pales in comparison to the fiber plans.
- Internet Basic – Up to 5 Mbps for $40/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if bundled.
- Internet 50 – Up to 50 Mbps for $50/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if bundled.
- Internet 75 – Up to 75 Mbps for $50/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if bundled.
- Internet 100 – Up to 100 Mbps for $50/month with 12-month agreement. Deduct $10 if bundled.
Like in the case with fiber Internet 500 and 1000, here DSL plans from 50-100 Mbps are at the same price, depending on their availability in your area. In any case, the highest speed will be offered.
AT&T DSL based Internet plans are based on ADSL2+, VDSL2, G.Fast and Ethernet technologies delivered over a hybrid of fiber optic and copper facilities which provides subscribers with significantly faster download speeds compared to traditional DSL connections. All speed tiers are asymmetrical meaning the download/upload speeds are different.
Bundles: TV + Internet + Phone + Wireless
AT&T Internet can be combined with other AT&T services like TV, phone, or Wireless. The most common bundle is AT&T TV and Internet, followed by the combinations with the phone and/or Wireless.
Any bundle that includes AT&T Internet will give you an additional $10 discount.
DIRECTV is the biggest satellite TV provider in the US and a subsidiary of AT&T. Purchased by AT&T in 2015 for $67.1 billion, DIRECTV is the only provider of Genie DVR and NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Also, AT&T’s DIRECTV plans are number one in customer satisfaction in the East and the South according to J.D. Power.
The Pros and Cons of AT&T’s Internet Services
Pros
AT&T does really well in numerous regards.
- Impressive Maximum Speed – Fiber plans reach up to 1000 Mbps, which enables you to download 10 GB within approximately 1.5 minutes.
- Amazing Promo Pricing – AT&T has a way with prices, allowing the company to offer some of the greatest value on the market.
- Access to TV bundles with DIRECTV or U-verse TV – You can get a very good deal with AT&T if you need TV and phone service as well.
- Big Data Allowance – Standalone services have a 1TB monthly data allowance. It is more than enough for most families. You’ll have to watch 5 hours of Netflix every day to use it all up.
- Outstanding Customer Experience – J.D. Power is telling everyone that AT&T takes handling customers to the next level.
Cons
There are possible drawbacks to the services as well, but they don’t cause problems for 99% of the customers.
- Confusing Branding – AT&T rebranded its internet services a year ago and the website that explains it all may be a bit confusing at the beginning.
- May not be Always Fastest – Just like every other Internet provider, AT&T advertises the maximum speed of their connection, not the average speed.
- Internet Technologies – Plainly speaking, AT&T Internet is either a combination of fiber and DSL, or fiber only. This sometimes can be confusing, but AT&T always clearly shows if a plan offered is fiber only or not.