AT&T is perhaps America’s best-known provider of telecommunications service. Their internet services include the nation’s largest Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) footprint, as well as the third-largest population service of fiber-based internet. They also offer fixed wireless point-to-point internet to roughly 20% of the US, focusing on providing a high-speed internet option in rural areas.

AT&T’s 2015 acquisition of DirecTV gave them the county’s largest satellite TV subscriber base, and their video offerings have grown with streaming service AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV now), which is currently evolving into the new AT&T TV platform, which is basically DirecTV offered via internet streaming rather than through satellite.

AT&T also boasts the second-largest subscriber base among post-paid cellular companies, through their AT&T brand.  AT&T is also the owner of the pre-paid phone service Cricket, and that service’s subscriber count plus AT&T’s own pre-paid service makes them American’s third-largest for that specific product.

AT&T’s future growth will be in fiber internet and wireless.  They have announced plans for growing their fiber internet footprint within urban/suburban areas where they currently offer DSL, and the growth of 5G wireless technology will add increased data speed options throughout the country.

Customers can often find additional savings by bundling one or more of these products together.  The largest discounts typically come into play when wireless is bundled with both and home internet and TV product.

AT&T’s most commonly available home internet product is DSL, which is available to nearly 125 million customers nationwide.  Advertised AT&T DSL speeds top out at 100 Mbps, but that speed only available to about 25% of the country. The most commonly available top speed is 25 Mbps, and this speed is typically sufficient for normal web usage and light streaming/gaming.

AT&T fiber boasts much faster speeds, though its footprint is almost entirely centered in the urban areas of AT&T’s internet footprint.  Download speeds with Fiber almost always top out at 940 Mbps (1 Gbps), with lower-priced options often available at 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 300 Mbps, and 500 Mbps.

AT&T’s fixed wireless internet, with a much more rural footprint, can obtain speeds up to 25 Mbps. These speeds are often inconsistent and challenged by network bandwidth bottlenecks when the network is most active.  Geography also matters substantially on speeds with AT&T’s fixed wireless product. Those closest to the nearest AT&T tower may experience speeds beyond the advertised maximum, while those farther away or who have items like buildings, hills, or other obstructions in the way may see their top speeds be much lower.

AT&T Internet is a generally robust product, so it’s often a solid choice in areas where it’s available. Since AT&T is a phone/internet provider first, and not a traditional Cable TV company, there will almost always be a cable internet competitor.

Ultimately, whether AT&T Internet is right for you, will typically depend on your primary needs as a consumer.  Most consumers are looking for overall value, which is a blend of “is this speed fast enough for me” and “how much does it cost, both today and after the promotional period?” Placing AT&T side-by-side against your local cable company will lead most consumers to that value decision.

If all things are equal between AT&T and your local cable company, there are some specific usage details you may consider.  Most providers today will have a limit on how much data you can use monthly before a surcharge kicks in. This will vary by area, but AT&T’s limits are typically 1-2 TB.  This amount of data is more than sufficient for households with a few devices connected and engage in typical internet use, plus moderate gaming and streaming. If your household has many devices connected, and there are multiple streaming/gaming uses that occur simultaneously over a large portion of the month, you may find yourself coming near (or over) your limits. If you fit into this category, reviewing the total usage (and any applicable charges relating to going over your limits) is worthwhile before making a decision.

In most cases, if you’re in a more rural area and AT&T is available, it will be a superior option to satellite internet services like Viasat and HughesNet. This isn’t always the case, however.  In some rural areas, AT&T’s maximum download speeds may be inferior to what can be provided by satellite internet providers to your home. However, the technologies are very different, and understanding how you use them can help you make the best decision. Satellite internet is typically unlimited data, however, you may see speeds lowered if you use more than a set monthly allotment, or if the network is heavily congested.

BundleFinders heavily encourages consumers to become well educated on their products to make the best decision for them and their home, and reading consumer reviews are often insightful. However, we urge caution and sometimes a “grain of salt” when reading these reviews online.

AT&T Internet reviews will often vary by location, and many complaints are attributed to the speed of the product versus the consumer’s expectation, which may or may not be commensurate with what the reality of the product they signed up for.  Looking for reviews in your specific area may be more insightful, as speeds frequently vary by city, and maximum available speeds may even change at an address just a few doors down from your own.

Many websites with AT&T reviews boast hundreds or even thousands over reviews. Some sites rank AT&T as low as 2.1 on a scale of 1-5, while others have them greater than 8 on a scale of 1-10.  Keep in mind that most people who go online to review (what has become) a commodity like home internet are voicing frustrations of some kind, and happy customers typically just enjoy their service and don’t go out of their way to speak kindly of a service like the Internet that just isn’t unique in the year 2020.  Also consider when you read aggregated reviews sites, that even 5,000 reviews are a very small percentage of the 180 million customers who use AT&T DSL, Fiber Internet, or Fixed Wireless internet service.