Optimum vs. AT&T
Optimum has great TV and internet plans, but AT&T wins out thanks to its customer service and bundle options.
Is Optimum or AT&T better?
We’d recommend AT&T over Optimum in most cases, thanks to the internet service provider’s (ISP) great fiber internet plans and responsive customer service. But if your neighborhood has only AT&T DSL coverage, stick with Optimum internet for faster download speeds.
Optimum vs. AT&T pros and cons
Optimum
✓ Great sign-up bonuses
✓ Fast internet speeds up to 5Gbps
✗ High non-promotional prices
AT&T
✓ Excellent fiber internet plans
✓ No-contract service
✗ An aging DSL network
Optimum vs. AT&T deals
Optimum regularly bundles offers like $300 Visa® prepaid cards, free hardware, and Optimum Mobile discounts for new internet customers. Check out our full Optimum deals page for the latest Optimum internet deals.
With AT&T, you’ll find add-ons like streaming service subscriptions, Visa® cash cards, and waived cancellation fees. Visit our AT&T deals guide for more information.
Optimum vs. AT&T head to head
| Service | Internet price | Internet speed | TV price | Channel count | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum | $40.00–$180.00/mo. | 300–5,000 Mbps | $35.00–$115.00/mo. | 50–420+ | View plan |
| AT&T | $55.00–$180.00/mo. | 75–5,000 Mbps | N/A | N/A |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Optimum internet won’t leave you waiting thanks to its low promotional pricing and internet speeds that start at 300 Mbps. Extra fees weigh down Optimum’s TV plans, but they’re still decent thanks to extensive channel lineups.
AT&T’s streamlined internet plans cut away bloat like annual price increases and contracts. The ISP doesn’t offer TV service, but you can bundle DIRECTV with your internet package during checkout.
Optimum vs. AT&T internet plans and prices
Optimum plans and prices
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | Internet type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum 300 | $40.00/mo. | 300Mbps | 20Mbps | Cable | View plan |
| Optimum 500 | $60.00/mo. | 500Mbps | 20Mbps | Cable | View plan |
| Optimum 1 Gig | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps | 35Mbps | Cable | View plan |
| Fiber Internet 300 | $40.00/mo. | 300Mbps | 300Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| Fiber Internet 500 | $60.00/mo. | 500Mbps | 500Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| Fiber Internet 1 Gig | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| Fiber Internet 2 Gig | $100.00/mo. | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| Fiber Internet 5 Gig | $180.00/mo. | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
*Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
With Optimum’s cable internet plans, you’ll have speeds up to 940Mbps and decent promotional pricing. If your neighborhood has Optimum fiber coverage, you’ll get equal upload and download speeds up to a gaudy 5,000Mbps (although most neighborhoods will be limited to Optimum’s 1 Gig fiber plan).
Optimum’s coverage and network are fairly decent, as we named Optimum our top cable ISP for gaming, thanks to its reliability. But Optimum’s fiber network remains a work in progress. In 2022, Optimum reported having only 170,000 residential fiber customers compared to AT&T’s 7 million fiber customers.
AT&T plans and prices
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | Internet type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet 100 | $55.00/mo. | 100Mbps | 20Mbps | DSL | |
| Internet 300 | $55.00/mo. | 300Mbps | 300Mbps | Fiber | |
| Internet 500 | $65.00/mo. | 500Mbps | 500Mbps | Fiber | |
| 1 Gig Internet | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps | 940Mbps | Fiber | |
| 2 Gig Internet | $110.00/mo. | 2,000Mbps | 2,000Mbps | Fiber | |
| 5 Gig Internet | $180.00/mo. | 5,000Mbps | 5,000Mbps | Fiber |
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.
As with Optimum, AT&T’s internet plans are divided between its old and new offerings. If AT&T offers only DSL in your area, you’ll be stuck with forgettable internet speeds on an aging network. With Optimum, you’ll get fast cable internet even if your area doesn’t have fiber coverage.
But if your neighborhood has AT&T Fiber, you’ll be able to get AT&T’s best internet plans. Across the board, AT&T Fiber is slightly pricier than Optimum—outside of its 5 Gig and 1 Gig plans, you’ll generally pay around $5 more per month for AT&T Fiber compared to Optimum.
Still, we think this price difference is worth it in the long run. Thankfully, AT&T abandoned old-school ISP tricks like annual price increases. With AT&T Fiber, you won’t have to worry about non-promotional prices and surprise price hikes on your bill.
By comparison, Optimum’s less than clear about its price policy. Optimum occasionally runs promotions that include multi-year price guarantees, but as of this writing, Optimum’s fine print states that its rates are “subject to change at any time.”
Optimum vs. AT&T fees and extra charges
Optimum fees and extra charges
| Fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Non-promotional internet/TV price | Varies |
| Cloud DVR | $9.99–$21.99/mo. |
| TV box | $10.00/mo. |
| Network Enhancement Fee | $3.50/mo. |
Optimum’s not the worst offender when it comes to nickel and diming your bill, but internet and TV customers should expect more than a few rental, hardware, and internet fees. Check out our Optimum hidden fees guide for a full breakdown of Optimum’s extra charges.
AT&T fees and extra charges
| Fees | Amount |
|---|---|
| Data overage | $10.00 per 50GB (DSL only, up to $100.00/mo.) |
| Wi-Fi gateway fee | Included |
| Late payment fee | Up to $9.99 |
| Payment convenience fee | Up to $5.00 per payment |
AT&T has its fair share of penalty fees, but if you stay on the right side of your bill, you’ll avoid most of the worst ones. Since AT&T’s technically out of the TV business, you won’t have to worry about costly equipment and broadcast fees. Our AT&T hidden costs guide breaks down all of these potential charges.
Optimum vs. AT&T specs and features
Optimum vs. AT&T customer service
AT&T was consistently a top-three performer in our annual internet customer satisfaction survey, as respondents were fans of the ISP’s reliability, customer service, and price. Optimum fared much less favorably, spending most of the survey in the lower tier of our survey results.
Bundling with TV
Optimum offers four TV plans with up to 420+ network and premium cable channels—we’ve highlighted a few of the best plans in the table below. Optimum TV has great features like bundled premium cable channels and free installation. But with prices that start at $115.00/mo., these add-ons won’t come cheap.
Check out our Optimum channel lineup guide and Optimum cable TV review for a full breakdown of Optimum’s TV plans.
Best Optimum TV and internet bundles
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
As for AT&T, it’s technically out of the TV business now that it’s split from DIRECTV. Although you can make a makeshift DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T bundle, you won’t get any savings by combining services.
Bundling with cell phone service
When you bundle Optimum Mobile with Optimum internet, you’ll get discounted cell phone service for up to five people. Optimum Mobile doesn’t cover much beyond the basics, but it’s a great deal if you’re looking to stack additional savings on your Optimum internet plan.
As for AT&T, you’ll get a 25% discount on unlimited cell phone plans when you bundle cell phone and internet service. AT&T’s cell phone plans are generally pricier than Optimum Mobile, but you’ll get fancier features like larger mobile hotspot data caps.
Check out our Optimum Mobile review and cell phone and internet bundles guide to learn more about combining cell phone and internet service.
Final take
As with most fiber ISPs, our verdict depends on the fiber internet coverage in your area. We recommend AT&T over Optimum thanks to AT&T’s stellar customer service, excellent fiber internet speeds, and straightforward pricing. But if cable TV service is a must-have addition or your neighborhood has only AT&T DSL coverage, consider going with Optimum.
Optimum vs. AT&T FAQ
Is AT&T the same as Optimum?
AT&T is not the same as Optimum. AT&T and Optimum are separate ISPs with their own internet plans and coverage areas.
Does Optimum Mobile use AT&T towers?
Optimum Mobile does not use AT&T towers. Optimum Mobile is run on T-Mobile’s network.
Methodology
Our experts drew from our existing research and reviews on Optimum and AT&T, rating both ISPs on areas including pricing, coverage, and value. We also used our annual customer satisfaction survey to see how real customers felt about each ISP.
For more on our process, see our How We Rank page.
