AT&T Internet Review: Good Speeds At Fair Rates

Saturday July 31, 2021.

Boasting the second most wide-reaching fiber network, AT&T Fiber delivers ultra fast speeds with over 99% reliability. AT&T Internet (or DSL), on the other hand, may be slower and less reliable than fiber, but it can compete with cable.

These plans range from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps (based on location), enough for a smaller household to regularly stream Netflix and browse social media. In addition to solid speeds, AT&T ranks higher in customer satisfaction than any other major cable company.

To gain a better understanding of these offerings, we spent over three weeks analyzing five popular plans, and comparing them across four top providers. What we found is a service that offers plenty of perks and money-saving bundling options.

If it's available in your area, AT&T Internet is a sure bet for good speeds at fair rates.

AT&T Internet plans and prices

Wide array of DSL speeds, each requiring a contract

Plan Package	Starting Price	Download Speeds up to	Best for
Internet 10	$49	10Mbps	Light streamer
Internet 18	$49	18Mbps	Light streamer
Internet 25	$49	25Mbps	Light streamer
Internet 50	$49	50Mbps	Light online gamers
Internet 100	$49	100Mbps	Bingewatchers
Internet 1000	$49	940Mbps	Mega users

Data effective 06/14/2020

* Package availability depends on location, prices may vary

Pricing

The introductory rates require a 12-month contract. After that, the price will be increased to the standard rate of $59.99 per month. This does not include taxes, which vary depending on which state you are in. Some customers could also find a $10 a month equipment fee and non-government required monthly cost recovery surcharges.

There are two possible one-time charges, one for self-install and one for professional install. If you choose the self-install, you'll need to set up the equipment yourself. The activation fee for this is $35. If you choose the professional installation, you won't have to lift a finger, but the installation fee is $99.

AT&T speeds and data caps

Plan	Upload Speed	Download Speed	DataCap
DSL Service	0.218 – 0.435 mbps	0.653 – 5.1 mbps	150 GB
Fixed Wireless Internet	1 – 9.4 mbps	10 – 64.7 mbps	250 GB
Internet Speed Tiers	5.9 – 899.2 mbps	6.5 – 925.1 mbps	1 TB

Estimated speeds

Internet speed depends on how many devices are accessing the internet and what activities you do on them. For example, if you're just going to browse every once in a while you can get the slowest internet available if you want. If you and your spouse are using the internet for different things (such as streaming and/or gaming), you'll need a faster connection speed. If you have four different people on different devices all doing different things, you may want to get the fastest internet speed available with no data caps.

Fiber plans, speed, and data

Growing fiber connection availability with competitive prices and no data caps

Capabilities: With AT&T Fiber, you can do just about anything — like download a two-hour long HD movie in a matter of seconds — with virtually no interference or data caps.
Price: AT&T's gigabit plan also happens to be one of the more affordable plans on the market. With a starting price of only $70/month, this is a low-cost option compared to other providers like Xfinity ($85) and Spectrum ($110).
Availability: AT&T continues to roll out fiber nationwide and, as of January 2020, the company markets ultra-fast speeds across 22 states. However, availability may differ based on which part of the city you live in.

DSL plans, speed, and data

Higher speed DSL connections offered for low to moderate internet usage

Speeds: AT&T offers a wide array of hybrid DSL connections (called IPBB) ranging all the way from 768 Kbps to 100 Mbps. Although lower speeds are becoming increasingly more uncommon, there's still a chance your household is limited to Internet Basic plans (768 Kbps – 5 Mbps).
Capabilities: For these low-speed plans, you may have trouble doing things like streaming videos in HD or playing games online — and the farther you are from the provider's central hub, the slower speeds will get. For smaller households planning on gaming or connecting 10+ devices at once, Internet Basic won't cut it. You would be better served by AT&T Internet (10 Mbps – 100 Mbps), if it's available where you live.
Reliability: Although Performance and Reliability varies by region, AT&T Internet often delivers quality service at prices that won't break the bank.
Data Allowance: AT&T Internet also offers a 1TB monthly data allowance on its standalone service, more than enough for most families. In fact, you'd have to work pretty hard to use up that much data: According to AT&T's data calculator, it would take about 400 hours of HD video streaming to hit that cap. That equates to 13 hours per day. If you're still worried about hitting your limit, you can purchase unlimited data for an extra $30 per month.

Who is each AT&T plan best for?

Internet 10 -- Best for a single user looking to email and surf the web with one device.
Internet 18 -- Best for a single user with three to four devices looking to surf the web and check email.
Internet 25 -- Best for two users with up to five devices looking to surf the web and check email.
Internet 50 -- Best for three users with up to six devices looking to stream movies and game.
Internet 100 -- Best for four or more users with up to eight devices looking to stream movies and game.
Internet 1000 -- Best for more than five users with 10 or more devices looking to stream movies and game.

It all depends on how many devices are in use and what kind of use there is. You can go with a slower plan and save some money if you don't use the internet much or just want to browse. You're going to need a faster internet speed if you want to stream, game, or work from home.

How fast is AT&T Internet?

AT&T's reputation reflects competitive DSL speeds and high performance ratings

In the FCC's latest broadband report, AT&T's DSL speeds far exceeded expectations, delivering speeds of 86% or better to 90% of its panelists. AT&T is reputed to have speeds that exceed other internet service providers such as CenturyLink and Verizon, although recent findings have faced scrutiny. However, indications of high performing speeds align with J.D. Power's five-star rating for Performance and Reliability in AT&T's largest operating market — the south.

It's worth noting that the FCC only measured AT&T's speeds up to 45 Mbps, meaning it's "ultra-fast" fiber speed was not taken into consideration. Given that fiber connections are much more reliable than DSL, we expect these findings to only improve over the coming years.

Whatever AT&T plan you have available, you can count on receiving the speed you're paying for.

Does AT&T have data caps?

AT&T data caps vary from different types of service. The AT&T DSL service has a data cap of 150 GB. The AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet has a data cap of 250 GB. And the AT&T Internet Speed Tiers offered has a data cap of 1 TB. The average American who wants to browse casually can go with either the DSL or Fixed Wireless Internet plans. You'll need the 1 TB data cap if there are a lot of devices used for streaming and gaming.

Where is AT&T internet available?

Limited availability across 21 states, with an expanding fiber network.

Unfortunately, AT&T's availability is fairly limited, with only 21 states having access to their service.

The good news? If you're lucky enough to have it, the chances of having a fiber connection are much higher compared to other broadband providers like CenturyLink and Frontier. And even if you don't have fiber available, AT&T Internet should be more than sufficient for moderate use.

Other factors to consider

Simple equipment

Basic equipment that you must rent or purchase from AT&T directly.

Setting up your internet service with AT&T requires AT&T's Wi-Fi Gateway, a modem/router combination device from AT&T that is used to connect your devices to the internet.

While some plans may include this gateway at no extra cost, most require you to pay an additional $10/month. And since AT&T doesn't allow you to use your own equipment, the only way around this monthly charge is by purchasing the gateway upfront (up to $100). Although this hefty upfront cost may hurt your wallet initially, you'll end up saving hundreds down the road.

AT&T will walk you through the specific equipment needs of your home, and professionals can install the system. The company also offers a self-installation option with a detailed guide and ample resources.

Contracts and fees

Transparent fees and 12-month minimum commitment, with costs typically increasing after that period.

AT&T requires a 12-month contract on all of its internet plans, with a prorated early termination fee of $180 if you decide to cancel before the year is up.

While every plan is different, most will go up in cost after the 12-month promotional period is over. Fortunately, AT&T is one of the more transparent providers and clearly states what that second year price will be in the offer details before you're locked in.

There are a few fees when you first sign up too -- $35 self-installation fee and $99 professional installation. However, if you sign up with a qualifying bundle, the installation fee may be waived.

Notable fees

Equipment lease fee: Up to $10/mo.*
$99 professional installation*
$35 activation (self-installation)*

*Sometimes waived for certain packages or online orders.

TV bundles: AT&T U-verse and DIRECTV

AT&T U-verse and DIRECTV bundle options available with nationwide availability

If your home needs TV service in addition to internet, you can bundle for a better price on both. Bundling AT&T internet with either AT&T TV or DIRECTV typically starts around $90 per month and comes with free installation.

Purchasing an individual DIRECTV package starts at 155+ channels for $50 per month. DIRECTV is a satellite service, which means it's available nationwide. It also offers some of the best options for sports fans.

AT&T TV packages independently start at 65+ channels for $50 per month. With AT&T TV , availability will depend on your location, and so will the exact bundle offers. However, given that the cheapest AT&T TV plan starts at $50, we recommend looking into other TV streaming services — like YoutubeTV — that offer more channels at a similar cost.

How does AT&T rank for customer service?

AT&T scores at the top among competitors for customer service

AT&T's customer service continues to outperform every internet service provider, finishing at the top in every market it operates in – South, West, and North Central.

In J.D. Power's most recent Internet Satisfaction Study, AT&T earned a perfect score in Customer Service, far exceeding top providers like CenturyLink, Xfinity, and Spectrum. Furthermore, AT&T earned perfect scores across the board in Communications and Promotions, as well as Billing and Payment. This is no easy feat considering no other provider earned a perfect score in any of these three factors.

Where AT&T falls short in contracts and second year pricing, it makes up in how it treats and responds to its customers over this time period.

How does AT&T rank for customer satisfaction?

AT&T ranks #2 for customer satisfaction among competing internet service providers

According to the 2019 ACSI Telecommunications Report, AT&T Internet ranks as no. 2 for customer satisfaction, leading the pack over popular cable internet service providers like Optimum, Spectrum, and Comcast Xfinity. The only service ranking higher, Verizon Fios, is fiber optic internet.

The report links AT&T Internet's customer satisfaction to the expansion of its fiber service, but the company's sales reps might also have a positive impact on its score. The reps we spoke with were kind, helpful, and patient with our questions. They also never pressured us to buy or to stay on the phone.

AT&T vs. other competitors

	Starting Price	Availability	Download Speeds	Connection	Contract
AT&T	$50	21 states	768 – 940 mbps	DSL, Fiber	1 year
CenturyLink	$49	36 states	1.5 Mbps – 940 Mbps	DSL, Fiber	None
Xfinity	$20	40 states	25 Mbps – 940 Mbps	Cable, Fiber	1 year
Spectrum	$50	46 states	30 Mbps – 940 Mbps	Cable	None

*Prices for stand-alone internet service, current at time of publication. Prices may vary by location. Contract length may vary and it's subject to the starting price presented above.

What is AT&T's best plan and how much does it cost?

AT&T's best plan is their Internet 1000 plan, powered by AT&T Fiber. You'll get a 1000 mbps connection speed. It starts at $50 per month, not including taxes, fees, or surcharges.

Where is AT&T available?

AT&T is available in 21 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. There are specific areas in each of the states where AT&T provides fiber internet services. It is not yet state-wide.

The bottomline

AT&T offers a wide variety of internet plans, and you're sure to find one that suits your needs whether you're browsing the internet or need a higher speed for gaming, streaming, or working from home. You can get the basic AT&T internet or AT&T Fiber internet for some amazing speeds. AT&T has the best customer service. If you have any questions or concerns call their customer service number. The customer service agents will happily help you in any way possible.