Fiber-optic plans are our hands-down picks with any internet provider, including AT&T—if you can get it.
AT&T internet service is available in over 20 western, midwestern, and southeastern states, and the majority of that service is DSL (digital subscriber line) over copper telephone lines.
AT&T also offers fiber-optic internet service in most of the same states, but with far less city-by-city coverage. Fiber internet is more than 10 times faster than DSL, but it’s also 10 times harder to come by in most areas. So, even as a fiber infrastructure leader, AT&T is still in limited rollout mode.
In short, AT&T Fiber internet is definitely good, whereas its DSL is just good enough.
| Package |
| Best DSL plan AT&T Internet 100 |
| Best fiber plan AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 |
| Price |
Download speeds up to |
Connection type |
| $45.00/mo. | 100 Mbps | DSL |
| $60.00/mo. | 940 Mbps | Fiber |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Like you, we love simple, and AT&T keeps its internet choices easy—one plan, one price. Where you live will determine whether that one plan is DSL at 100 Mbps (megabit per second) or fiber at 1,000 Mbps. If you don’t reside in a major city of an AT&T-serviced state, it’s going to be DSL.
DSL may be an old-school connection, but it can still handle most household internet needs. But, if DSL is your only option, know that the AT&T internet speed promise of “up to” 100 Mbps is like saying you could fit “up to” 100 marshmallows in your mouth. It might be possible, but it’s unlikely to happen. DSL internet typically tops out at 35 Mbps—maybe 50, if you’re lucky. So, if you place an online order and it says you qualify for only 25–50 Mbps where you live, you might experience even slower speeds.
Fiber-optic internet service, on the other hand, is delivered over microscopic glass strands as pulses of light, and it can hit download speeds over 1,000 Mbps (or 1 Gbps—gigabit per second). Most residential fiber internet services can reach max speeds of only 940 Mbps, which is still an impressive number—especially if you think of Mbps as marshmallows.
The higher the Mbps number, the lower the likelihood you’ll run into video buffering or internet slowing when more than one device or person is online. Triple digits is the place to be.
AT&T’s DSL prices don’t offer as much in value as AT&T Fiber prices. Like we said earlier—AT&T DSL speeds can’t keep up with AT&T Fiber speeds. And in the end, AT&T DSL costs you a lot more for each Mbps.
| Price |
Download speeds up to |
Connection type |
| $45.00/mo. | 100 Mbps | DSL |
| $35.00/mo. | 300 Mbps | Fiber |
| $45.00/mo. | 500 Mbps | Fiber |
| $60.00/mo. | 940 Mbps | Fiber |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
| Package | Price | Download speeds up to | Channel count |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 100 + AT&T TV Entertainment | $114.99/mo. | 100 Mbps | 65+ |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 + AT&T TV Entertainment | $104.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | 65+ |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 + AT&T TV Choice | $119.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | 90+ |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 500 + AT&T TV Choice | $129.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 90+ |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 500 + AT&T TV Ultimate | $139.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 130+ |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 + AT&T TV Premier | $199.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 140+ |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
| Package | Price | Download speeds up to | Channel count | Phone plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T Internet 100 + AT&T TV Entertainment + Phone | $147.98/mo. | 100 Mbps | 65+ | Unlimited calling |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 + AT&T TV Entertainment + Phone | $139.98/mo. | 300 Mbps | 65+ | Digital home phone |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 300 + AT&T TV Choice + Phone | $154.98/mo. | 300 Mbps | 90+ | Digital home phone |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 500 + AT&T TV Choice + Phone | $164.98/mo. | 500 Mbps | 90+ | Digital home phone |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 500 + AT&T TV Ultimate + Phone | $174.98/mo. | 500 Mbps | 130+ | Digital home phone |
| AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 + AT&T TV Premier + Phone | $234.98/mo. | 940 Mbps | 140+ | Digital home phone |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Want DIRECTV satellite TV instead of AT&T TV? Check out these DIRECTV/AT&T Internet bundles.
Want a little something-something to make your AT&T internet plan even sweeter? Here’s the current AT&T internet promotion:
AT&T Internet service includes an AT&T Wi-Fi Gateway modem/router, which can be set up for full smart home coverage. Some compatible smart home devices include the following:
Since so many simultaneously connected devices can eat a lot of internet bandwidth, we’d recommend only AT&T’s higher-speed fiber internet plan for running a smart home.
If you’re in an area that’s wired for AT&T’s fiber-optic internet service, we recommend it—really, we say sign up for any fiber-optic internet service you can get. Fiber equipment was made for the internet, and the service will become even faster as the tech develops.
DSL (and cable) internet services were built on old delivery systems, and they’ve essentially hit their peaks of speed and stability. That said, they still work, and AT&T’s DSL service is among the better internet hookups available—just keep an eye out for fiber arriving in the neighborhood.
AT&T’s DSL internet service comes with a monthly 1 TB (terabyte) data cap, which is a pretty high ceiling for the average user. To reach 1 TB in a month, you’d have to stream over 400 HD movies on Netflix, or the entirety of Friends six times on HBO Max. Challenge accepted.
AT&T’s Fiber internet service doesn’t have a data cap, so you can take your time at Central Perk.
Like all US fiber-optic internet providers, AT&T hasn’t yet built fiber infrastructure in every state—new tech rollouts take time. But AT&T Fiber is available in major cities in these states:
While AT&T’s 1,000 Mbps fiber internet download speed sounds tempting—way tempting—it could be more than your day-to-day activities actually require. Your mileage may vary, but these numbers are a decent indicator of the download speeds you’ll need for everyday activities:
