AT&T Fiber Review: Our Simplified Recommendations + Cost to You
Our experts condensed hours of research into a clear review on AT&T’s internet plans and prices.
Compare AT&T Fiber internet to the competition
Prices starting at
$55.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
5,000 Mbps
Service Type
Fiber
Prices starting at
$24.99/mo.
Max download speeds up to
1,200 Mbps
Service Type
Cable
Pricing, speed and availability not guaranteed. Subject to change.
Want a little something-something to make your AT&T internet plan even sweeter? Check out regular AT&T internet perks, or see if it’s offering anything special this month on our list of major internet deals.
AT&T internet packages offer fast speeds with no contracts
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet 300 | $55.00/mo. | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | |
| Internet 500 | $65.00/mo. | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | |
| 1 Gig Internet | $80.00/mo. | 1,000 Mbps | 1,000 Mbps | |
| 2 Gig Internet | $125.00/mo. | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | |
| 5 Gig Internet | $225.00/mo. | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Plus taxes. Price after $5/mo. Autopay & Paperless bill discount.
On AT&T’s fiber internet network, you can get speeds up to 5,000 Mbps—that’s five times faster than the Gigabit internet everyone’s been ga-ga over for years. Every AT&T fiber internet plan is contract-free and also comes with equal upload and download speeds, so you’ll have smooth Zoom calls and virtually instant transfer times for Google Drive or Apple iCloud backups.
This played a huge role in why we gave AT&T our Editor’s Choice Award for best no-contract internet service. Many national internet providers use contracts and annual price hikes to sneakily raise your monthly bill, but AT&T keeps things refreshingly straightforward. You’ll pay one price for internet service, and won’t have to worry about things like early termination fees or multi-year contracts you’d find on other providers.
Expect to pay a little extra for AT&T fiber internet
That said, AT&T’s prices now look similar to most of its competitors, so don’t expect much of a deal from AT&T when it comes to your monthly internet bill. For starters, AT&T’s lack of a sub-$50 internet plan continues to be one of our biggest pet peeves with AT&T.
Cable internet providers regularly have budget-friendly plans with speeds around 100Mbps and pricing around $30 monthly—they’re far from the fastest plans, but they give customers pricing flexibility if they simply need cheap internet for emails and Facebook updates. It’s unfortunate that AT&T’s fiber internet pricing leaves these customers by the wayside. If you don’t qualify for AT&T’s subsidized or low-income internet plans, you’ll simply have to pay up for home internet service.
As for the competition, AT&T’s prices ($55.00/mo. for 300Mbps speeds) are slightly higher than comparable fiber internet providers. For instance, Quantum Fiber’s introductory internet plan gets you 500Mbps speeds for $50.00 monthly, while Verizon Fios charges $49.99 for its 300Mbps plan.
Among cable providers, Spectrum and Xfinity technically have cheaper entry-level pricing compared to AT&T. However, Xfinity charges $14 per month for its modem/router combo, and Spectrum charges $5 per month for a Wi-Fi router rental. Plus, both cable internet providers sneak in price hikes after your first or second year of service compared to AT&T’s flat rate and price hike-free pricing.
AT&T fiber internet: reliable in any condition
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Average latency | 15.28 milliseconds |
| Internet reliability approval rating | 75% approval |
| Internet speed approval rating | 75% approval |
Fiber internet generally offers the strongest internet performance around, and AT&T’s fiber internet is no exception. We pull from multiple data sources to determine an internet provider’s service reliability, which include speed test data from our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com, CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, and speaking with real AT&T customers. Although AT&T’s internet performance is a slight step behind the top fiber internet providers, you’ll still get excellent internet speed and reliability from AT&T.
According to HighSpeedInternet.com, AT&T fiber internet customers had an average latency mark of 15.28 milliseconds, which ranked seventh-best among all ISPs—latency refers to how long it takes for data to physically reach your computer and it’s important for tasks like Zoom calls or online gaming. While AT&T fiber internet’s slightly behind top fiber ISP performers like Ziply Fiber and Verizon Fios, it’s still plenty fast compared to cable internet competitors.
AT&T also received top-10 approval ratings in our annual customer satisfaction survey—75% of AT&T internet customers were highly satisfied with AT&T’s internet speeds and service reliability. Other competitors who finished near AT&T include T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, Sparklight, and Quantum Fiber.
As part of our research, we also asked CableTV.com staff member Natassia—who’s been an AT&T fiber internet customer for around five months—what she thinks of her AT&T internet plan:
While there are cheaper options, I'm satisfied with the price because since I work from home, it's important to have fast internet speeds and I feel like AT&T delivers on that. AT&T has probably been the best provider in my area for reliability. The one time we had an outage so far, it only lasted about an hour. I've had experiences with other providers in Miami where there were outages almost once a month and lasting several hours.
AT&T Fiber covers the basics like free Wi-Fi routers and no data caps
AT&T’s fiber internet plans don’t have many bells and whistles, but there’s still a lot to like whether you’re looking for internet equipment add-ons or bundle deals—we’re huge fans of AT&T’s no-contract internet plans and flat-rate pricing. Let’s break down everything else that comes with AT&T internet service.
Free Wi-Fi equipment
Every AT&T fiber internet plan comes with a free Wi-Fi gateway, which connects your home to the internet and works similarly to a combo router/modem. Most homes will get the BGW320 Wi-Fi Gateway, which offers Wi-Fi 6 support and comes in a slick white box. Considering many providers tack on additional equipment rental fees on top of your internet plan, we appreciate AT&T’s willingness to throw fiber internet customers a small bone.
If your home isn’t already set up for AT&T Fiber, AT&T will also install an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) at your home. The ONT is around the size of a Wi-Fi router and will typically be mounted onto a wall in your home.
Image credit: CableTV.com
Unlimited data
AT&T also includes unlimited data with every AT&T fiber internet plan, so you can stream and download content without having to worry about overage fees.
We are so over overage fees, so we really like that AT&T Fiber plans don’t limit data. TBH, at this point, in this day and age, it’s just greedy if you do (Xfinity and Cox, we’re looking at you).
AT&T phone and internet bundle options
When you get an AT&T internet plan, you can add home phone service for an additional monthly price. AT&T Phone plans use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to let you place calls using your internet connection. (We say skip it and bundle AT&T fiber internet with an AT&T wireless plan and save up to $20 per month.)
If you make a lot of international calls, consider AT&T Phone Unlimited International Plus. This plan offers discounted per-minute rates on international calls (other than those to Canada and Mexico, which are included in your unlimited calling).
But AT&T customers will have to do a little more legwork to get TV service, as AT&T has gotten out of the TV game. Check out our live TV streaming service guide to learn more about providers like Fubo, YouTube TV, and Sling TV.
What do real AT&T customers think of AT&T?
As part of CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, we talked to thousands of real-life internet customers to see how they felt about their internet providers.
As for AT&T, the provider had a solid seventh-place finish for overall customer satisfaction and earned additional top-five rankings in areas including service reliability. It was a slight step behind our top internet providers, but with AT&T fiber internet, you’ll likely get decent customer service thanks to the provider’s national footprint and network of in-person retail stores.
[I] haven't had any issues with AT&T. I used to have it all my other house, but transferred it to my new house. Biggest issue was they had issues transferring it and had to create a different account for it. My old account had my cell phone and internet combined and gave me a discount doing so.
AT&T fiber FAQ
What's the difference between AT&T Internet and AT&T Fiber?
After discontinuing its DSL internet service, AT&T Fiber is the company’s primary internet offering. It utilizes a network of fiber-optic cables buried underground to transmit data. Beyond fiber internet, AT&T also has Internet Air and Fixed Wireless Internet options that operate over a 4G LTE and 5G wireless network.
How much is AT&T internet monthly?
AT&T internet runs from $55.00 a month to $225.00 per month, depending on your plan.
How much does AT&T Fiber actually cost?
AT&T Fiber costs as low as $55 a month (before tax) for the Internet 300 plan with AutoPay and paperless billing enabled. Higher-tier plans can cost up to $225 a month and include additional taxes and fees.
Does AT&T Fiber come with a router?
Yes, AT&T Fiber and AT&T Internet plans include a Wi-Fi gateway that’s both a router and a modem. Depending on your plan, the gateway equipment fee is part of your monthly cost. Otherwise, it costs an extra $10 a month (consider it a rental fee).
Does AT&T internet service have data caps?
AT&T’s Fiber internet plans all come with no data caps, so stream away to your heart’s content.
How does AT&T install fiber to your house?
AT&T installs fiber internet by running a fiber service line to a NID (network interface device) box on the side of your home, which may involve some drilling. Inside, the technician will install fiber-extended lines to connect the exterior box to your Wi-Fi gateway. Once the installation is complete, the technician will bury the fiber line outside.
Where is AT&T Fiber internet available?
Like all U.S. 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:
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