Optimum vs. AT&T Internet: Comparing Speeds, Pricing, Deals, And More
Optimum has great TV and internet plans, but AT&T wins out thanks to its customer service and bundle options.
$55.00–$245.00/mo.
$55.00–$245.00/mo.
$40.00–$280.00/mo.
$40.00–$280.00/mo.
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 Internet Air coverage, or you’re still hanging on to AT&T’s old DSL plans, stick with Optimum internet for faster download speeds.
AT&T landed in the top ten in overall satisfaction in CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, with 74% of respondents reporting extreme satisfaction with their AT&T internet service. On the flip side, Optimum fell in the bottom five in this same survey, with customers most dissatisfied with Optimum’s prices in regards to the quality of service they receive.
As with most fiber ISPs, our verdict ultimately 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 Internet Air coverage, consider going with Optimum.
Compare Optimum or AT&T internet head to head
Prices starting at
$40.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
1,000 Mbps
Service Type
Cable
Prices starting at
$55.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
5,000 Mbps
Service Type
Fiber
Pricing, speed and availability not guaranteed. Subject to change.
Optimum vs. AT&T: internet plans and prices
While Optimum may have lower promotional prices, AT&T’s streamlined internet plans cut away bloat like annual price increases and contracts. Keep reading for all you need to know about Optimum and AT&T’s internet plans.
Optimum internet packages
| Package | Price* | Max download speed |
|---|---|---|
| Optimum 300 | $40.00/mo. | 300Mbps |
| Optimum 500 | $60.00/mo. | 500Mbps |
| Optimum 1 Gig | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 300 | $40.00/mo. | 300Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 500 | $60.00/mo. | 500Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 1 Gig | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 2 Gig | $120.00/mo. | 2,000Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 5 Gig | $180.00/mo. | 5,000Mbps |
| Fiber Internet 8 Gig | $280.00/mo. | 8,000Mbps |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.
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 8,000Mbps (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. At the end of 2023, Optimum reported having only 341,000 residential fiber customers compared to AT&T’s 8.3 million fiber customers.
AT&T internet packages
| Package | Price | Max download speed |
|---|---|---|
| Internet 300* | $55.00/mo. | 300Mbps |
| Internet 500† | $65.00/mo. | 500Mbps |
| 1 Gig Internet‡ | $80.00/mo. | 940Mbps |
| 2 Gig Internet‡ | $145.00/mo. | 2,000Mbps |
| 5 Gig Internet | $245.00/mo. | 5,000Mbps |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer.
As with Optimum, AT&T’s internet plans are divided. If AT&T doesn’t offer fiber in your area, you’ll be stuck with forgettable internet speeds offered with AT&T Internet Air. With Optimum, however, 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—in general, you’ll be paying 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 is 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: customer satisfaction
As part of CableTV.com’s annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, we talked to more than 7,000 real internet customers across the U.S. to see how they felt about their internet providers.
AT&T was a high performer across the survey as respondents were fans of the ISP’s reliability and customer service.
- 77% of AT&T customers felt AT&T customer service could effectively solve their problems.
- 75% of AT&T customers were completely satisfied with AT&T’s internet speeds and reliability.
- Only 60% of AT&T customers felt that AT&T was an extremely good deal compared to the competition.
What do real AT&T internet customers think about AT&T?
They've always resolved any issues very quickly. There have been very few times that my AT&T has gone down. I like consistent service, and that is what they've delivered.
Optimum fared much less favorably, spending most of the survey in the lower tier of our results. Optimum only placed above Breezeline and two satellite internet providers in overall satisfaction–a dismal finish.
- Only 57% of polled customers felt Optimum met their household internet needs.
- 41% of respondents felt that Optimum’s prices were competitive compared to other providers.
- Just half of Optimum customers were satisfied with Optimum customer service.
Optimum customers particularly disliked the ISP’s prices:
What do real Optimum internet customers think about Optimum?
I would be more satisfied with Optimum if their prices were lower they are too expensive now that the discount period is over.
How reliable is Optimum or AT&T internet?
| Optimum | AT&T | |
|---|---|---|
| Average latency | 17.2 milliseconds | 15.3 milliseconds (fiber), 29.3 milliseconds (DSL) |
| Internet reliability satisfaction rating | 56% positive | 75% positive |
| Internet speed satisfaction rating | 58% positive | 75% positive |
AT&T consistently scored above Optimum in regards to internet reliability. According to data from our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com, AT&T’s average fiber latency ranked seventh overall. AT&T also hit the 75% mark for speed and reliability satisfaction, so customers can expect consistent internet performance from the ISP.
Although their latencies don’t have a large discrepancy—meaning you can expect pretty fast speeds from both ISPs— AT&T’s customer survey scores far surpassed Optimum’s. Three-quarters of respondents are satisfied with AT&T’s speeds and reliability, while less than 60% of Optimum customers can say the same thing.
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wisconsin
Optimum vs. AT&T: specs and features
There’s plenty else to consider when choosing an ISP besides just prices and speeds. Let’s break down what else you should know about Optimum and AT&T internet offerings.
Does Optimum or AT&T have good internet deals?
Optimum internet deals
Optimum regularly bundles offers like $200 Visa® prepaid cards, free streaming service subscriptions, and Optimum Mobile discounts for internet customers.
Check out our Optimum deals guide to learn more about the latest savings.
AT&T internet deals
With AT&T, you’ll find add-ons like cell phone and internet bundle discounts, Visa® cash cards, and waived cancellation fees.
Visit our AT&T deals guide for more information.
Both offer solid mobile bundles
Optimum mobile bundles
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.
Check out our Optimum Mobile review and cell phone and internet bundles guide to learn more about combining cell phone and internet service.
AT&T mobile bundles
As for AT&T, you’ll get a 20% discount on AT&T Fiber when you bundle an eligible AT&T Wireless plan 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.
Head over to our AT&T Wireless guide to get more deets on AT&T’s cell service.
But AT&T’s more straightforward about fees
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 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.
Why you should trust us
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.
Disclaimer
Optimum: 300 Mbps Internet- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Terms apply.
500 Mbps Internet- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 6 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
1 Gig Internet- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection up to 940 Mbps. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
300 Mbps Fiber Internet- w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Terms apply.
500 Mbps Fiber Internet- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 6 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
1 Gig Fiber Internet- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection up to 940 Mbps. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
2/5/8 Gig Fiber Internet- For 1 yr. w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill. Wired connection. WiFi speeds may vary. Not available in all areas. Max auto renews after 12 months at then prevailing rate (currently $15.99/mo). Price sbjct to change. Terms apply.
AT&T: Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Above pricing is after $10/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount with a debit card or bank account; if using a credit card, then price is $5/mo more.
*Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install chrg may apply. Ltd. avail/areas. Call or go to www.fiber.att.com to see if you qualify.
†Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install chrg may apply. Ltd. avail/areas. Call or go to www.fiber.att.com to see if you qualify.
‡Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds may vary. For more info, go to www.att.com/speed101.
