AT&T home internet review: Cost, coverage and customer experience guide

AT&T at a glance

Our top-rated internet service provider (ISP), AT&T Internet, offers many DSL, fixed wireless, and fiber high-speed internet plans and has a strong customer service record.

Fast facts

What we like

ISPs aren’t exactly known for their sterling customer service records, but with an A- BBB rating and very high ratings for its Google Play and App Store apps, AT&T Internet stands out from the competition in customer satisfaction. The American Consumer Satisfaction Index ranks AT&T Fiber as the top fiber internet ISP and the second broadband internet ISP behind T-Mobile.

AT&T Internet offers up to 11 plans to customers, depending on location, with competitive pricing and the ability to bundle other services to save money. With the nation’s largest fiber network, AT&T offers fiber internet to nearly 21 million households at competitive prices.

What we don’t like

AT&T Internet’s shortcomings are the same as those of most nationwide internet companies. Despite being one of the largest ISPs in the country, “nationwide” doesn’t really mean nationwide. AT&T Internet serves just 21 states and comes up short in availability in rural areas.

Although AT&T’s fiber internet is priced competitively, its cable internet is comparatively quite expensive, with plans starting at $55 monthly, even with an introductory offer. The company offers some savings by bundling TV, phone and mobile service, but you’ll still likely pay more than you would for similar plans from T-Mobile or Verizon FiOs.

Fiber service also starts at $55 per month for 300Mbps, the same price T-Mobile charges for 500Mbps and a touch more than Verizon FiOs’s $50 per month for 300Mbps. If you’re on a tight budget, AT&T Internet is probably unsuitable for your household.

* BBB ratings are accurate as of July 2024.

AT&T pros and cons

AT&T Internet offers up to 11 plans, depending on your location. Most of these don’t require a contract and can be cancelled at any time. That said, non-fiber plans have a data cap, and the company will charge overage penalties for surpassing that cap. The good news is that it’s a very high data cap.

As you may expect from a company with so many other properties, AT&T offers many short-term promotions and offers better pricing on DirecTV and/or wireless service when you bundle plans.

Pros

Cons

How much does AT&T cost?

AT&T offers competitive prices on fiber internet, but its prices for fixed wireless and DSL hybrid internet (using both copper phone lines and copper coaxial cable lines) are less competitive.

AT&T offers flat rates for DSL plans, so if a 100 Mbps plan is available in your area, you can get it for the same price as a plan offering speeds one-tenth as fast. That said, not every plan is available in every location, so you may end up paying the same price as customers in other areas with faster plans.

Where available, AT&T fiber gets strong marks from customers on the speed and reliability of service.

* Prices include AutoPay discounts. Prices and availability may vary depending on location.

Savings and discounts

AT&T offers several options to bundle internet services with mobile and TV plans. You can bundle internet and DirecTV for an additional $70 to $90 per month or bundle internet with 5G wireless service for an additional 20%off per month.

While these offers — especially the mobile bundle — allow you to save some real money on services you want, there’s an important caveat. Although AT&T stand-alone internet plans don’t come with a service contract, bundle deals usually do.

What plans and services does AT&T offer?

The number and types of plans AT&T offers depend on location. While pricing is largely standardized across the DSL hybrid network, AT&T fiber internet and fixed wireless plans vary more. If you’re getting stand-alone internet service, you won’t have to worry about getting locked into a contract, although several plans have data caps. At 1.5TB per month, it’s a high enough cap that most internet users won’t reach it, but it’s still worth noting.

In addition to having the nation’s largest fiber network and an extensive DSL network, AT&T offers a fixed wireless plan that involves installing an antenna and wireless equipment in your home. Depending on your location, you could reach speeds of up to 95Mbps.

AT&T includes its Gateway modem-and-router combo in the monthly subscription fee and permits free self-installation. However, a one-time $99 fee will be charged if you want a professional to install your internet.

AT&T services

AT&T add-ons and optional features

If you’re on a plan with a data cap and fear you may surpass the data allowance, you can upgrade to unlimited data for an extra $30 per month. You can also bundle your internet plan with DirectTV to eliminate the data cap.

Additionally, AT&T has a cool feature that gives customers free access to more than 30,000 hotspots nationwide. That way, you can access the internet in many public places on your phone by logging into your AT&T account rather than using a password for the coffee shop’s Wi-Fi or your mobile data.

AT&T customer service and experience

AT&T was mocked online in February 2024 after a massive outage that certainly didn’t endear the company to customers, but AT&T’s Internet reviews nonetheless stand up well against competitors.

As we’ve noted, it has earned an A- rating from the BBB, and the AT&T app has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on the Google Play Store and a 4.8 out of 5 rating on the App Store.

Customers can contact customer service 24/7 via live chat and phone and find answers to questions themselves on the FAQ page, blog, community forum or outage map.

Customer feedback

Dissatisfied customers often complain about the complicated billing structure, with so many services offered or about accidental upcharges.

Other considerations about AT&T Internet

As with any provider, there are a few other considerations to consider when deciding about AT&T Internet.

Additional monthly fees

As some customers have complained, AT&T’s billing structure can be complicated. The company offers many services, with upgrades and add-ons for internet, mobile and DirecTV plans, so you may not always fully understand what you’re paying for. Ideally, you aren’t charged for services you never opted into, but it has happened to customers before, so you’ll want to pay close attention to your monthly bill.

Installation fees

AT&T includes the cost of its modem and router in the monthly price. While you’re allowed to use your own equipment, you’re already paying for AT&T’s, so it may not make financial sense to purchase your own modem or router.

You may install AT&T Internet yourself or pay a one-time $99 fee for professional installation.

Data caps

Most AT&T fixed wireless and DSL plans have data caps. AT&T charges $10 per month for every 50GB over the data allotment you go. Customers needing more than the 350 GB limit for AT&T Fixed Wireless plan to suit their needs can pay an extra $30 monthly to upgrade to unlimited data.

The 1.5 TB data cap on other plans should be more than enough for the average family. However, if you have several online gamers in the house and you stream a lot of TV, consider upgrading to unlimited.

How does AT&T compare with competitors?

AT&T Internet is our top-rated home internet provider for 2024. The company beats competitors in customer service metrics and, with the nation’s largest and most affordable fiber network, provides some of the best high-speed internet available in the country.

Although AT&T’s DSL services are more expensive and offer less availability than other ISPs, including T-Mobile and Comcast Xfinity, it makes up for that lack of coverage by offering fixed wireless plans for those with less access to internet services.

With no contracts on stand-alone plans and no data caps on many plans, AT&T offers flexible, high-quality internet service to customers across the US.

AT&T vs. competitors

Methodology

CNN Underscored uses customer reviews, company resources and nearly 50 other primary sources to evaluate the nation’s 22 leading ISPs. We weigh each company’s plans, pricing, technology, availability, data privacy, company reputation and customer support to determine impartial scoring for each ISP.

FAQs