Source: CNET analysis of provider data
As you can see, you'll find only two plans to pick from with Spectrum, with download speeds of 500Mbps or 1,000Mbps. Note that the upload speeds are much slower -- that's a quirk of cable internet, which doesn't offer matching, concurrent upload and download speeds like a fiberconnection will.
Spectrum plans don't require any contracts, but your monthly price will go up by $30 after the first year. On the plus side, Spectrum's internet plans don't come with many additional fees, save for the $10 equipment rental fee, which you can skip altogether if you're using your own router or if you're a customer of the 1-gig plan.
Plan | Max speeds | Promo price (first 12 months) | Regular monthly cost (after 12 months) | Equipment fee | Data Cap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fixed Wireless Read full review | 10Mbps download, 1Mbps upload | $70 | $70 | None | 350GB |
AT&T Internet 10 Read full review | 10Mbps download, 1Mbps upload | $55 | $70 | None | 1.5TB |
AT&T Internet 18 Read full review | 18Mbps download, 1Mbps upload | $55 | $70 | None | 1.5TB |
AT&T Internet 25 Read full review | 25Mbps download, 2Mbps upload | $55 | $70 | None | 1.5TB |
AT&T Internet 50 Read full review | 50Mbps download, 10Mbps upload | $55 | $70 | None | 1.5TB |
AT&T Internet 100 Read full review | 100Mbps download, 20Mbps upload | $55 | $70 | None | None |
AT&T Internet Air (fixed wireless) Read full review | 225Mbps download, 30Mbps upload | $60 | $60 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 300 Read full review | 300Mbps download, 300Mbpsupload | $55 | $55 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 500 Read full review | 500Mbps download, 500Mbps upload | $65 | $65 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 1000 Read full review | 1,000Mbps download, 1,000Mbps upload | $80 | $80 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 2000 Read full review | 2,000Mbps download, 2,000Mbps upload | $150 | $150 | None | None |
AT&T Fiber 5000 Read full review | 5,000Mbps download, 5,000Mbps upload | $250 | $250 | None | None |
Show more (7 items)
Source: CNET analysis of provider data
The list of AT&T plans is a lot longer because AT&T uses a mix of technologies to deliver different plans in different parts of its coverage map. According to the latest data from the FCC, AT&T's high-speed fiber connection is shown to only provide about 11% of unit coverage in the US. An AT&T spokesperson told CNET that the company's fiber footprint has grown since then but didn't provide a more up-to-date figure.
AT&T offers a much slower DSL hybrid service called ADSL that augments the traditional phone-line approach with copper cabling for regions where fiber is unavailable. AT&T also offers fixed wireless service in some parts of the country.
That methodological mix means that AT&T's speeds, plans and prices will vary wildly depending on your location. If AT&T Fiber is available in your area, you could sign up for symmetrical upload and download speeds of 300Mbps for $55 per month, which is less than you'd pay for AT&T's fixed wireless plan, which offers download speeds that top out at 10Mbps and uploads that only hit 1Mbps. Meanwhile, AT&T's DSL subscribers will start at $55 per month regardless of the actual speed that's available at their address. Depending on the location, that speed could be anything from 10Mbps to 100Mbps.
Like Spectrum, AT&T internet plans don't require contracts -- but with AT&T, the price only goes up after 12 months with the DSL plans. Even then, the jump is less severe than you'll see with Spectrum -- expect to pay an additional $15 per month after the first year for an AT&T DSL plan. Another point for AT&T Fiber plans: There's no automatic price hike after the first year.
Spectrum plans come with a free modem, but you'll need to pay an extra $10 per month to rent a router if you're a customer of the 500Mbps plan. You can skip the fee if you swap in a router of your own or upgrade to the 1-gig plan. Meanwhile, AT&T skips the equipment rental charges completely.
Beyond that, here's a quick run-through on the rest of the fine print.
Spectrum suspended in-home professional installation due to the pandemic, but it is once again an option for customers. Standard installation will cost you $65. However, the self-installation router is cheaper, as customers can order a self-installation kit for $30. Spectrum also charges an additional $10 for the Wi-Fi activation fee for most customers.
AT&T charges $99 for professional installation, though it often waives this fee as part of its online promotions. In some cases, AT&T offers to wave that installation fee for fiber plans and the Internet Air plan. Be on the lookout to see if your address is eligible for these deals.
Spectrum doesn't enforce data caps on any of its plans, so you can surf, stream and download to your heart's content without fear of incurring a fee or seeing your speeds throttled. Give Spectrum a gold star for that -- especially since data caps are definitely a thing with other cable internet providers, namely Xfinity and Cox.
As for AT&T, the company boasts unlimited data with its fiber plans, which is great -- but DSL and fixed wireless customers aren't so lucky. With those plans, AT&T enforces a data cap of 350GB or 1.5 terabytes (1,500GB). Once you use more data than that in a given month, you'll incur charges of $10 for every 50GB of excess, up to a maximum penalty of $100.
The good news is that there are ways to dodge this data cap. Your first option is to pay an extra $30 per month to upgrade your plan with unlimited data. The second (and for most customers, better) option is to get unlimited data at no extra charge by opting for AT&T's home internet and TV bundle.
According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, which runs yearly surveys across various product and service categories to gauge -- you guessed it -- customer satisfaction, the ISP category is having a hard time. Still, it saw a 4% increase from 2023 to now. On the whole, customer satisfaction with their internet provider came in at 71 out of 100 for 2024, which is just a point above last year's 75 out of 100.
So how did our two providers of note finish? AT&T earned a score of 80, which put them first amongst other fiber providers, like Verizon Fios and Frontier Fiber. Other providers were at least a three point difference from AT&T, and the average score for fiber providers was four points less than AT&T's score.
Spectrum, meanwhile, met the industry average for non-fiber ISPs with a score of 68 out of 100. Spectrum falls a point behind in comparison to AT&T's DSL network. However, it did beat Xfinity and Optimum, which might indicate some positive momentum.
Separate customer satisfaction data from the J.D. Power surveyseems to back that up. In the company's 2024 study of ISP satisfaction, Spectrum finished with a below-average score in all regions, except the South. Meanwhile, AT&T finished with the top score among all ISPs surveyed in the West and North-Central. Spectrum's best finish was in the South, earning a score of 561, beating the regional average of 559.
AT&T and Spectrum both offer home internet service to a significant percentage of the US population, and their footprints overlap in several regions. If you're choosing between the two, be sure to check whether or not AT&T offers fiber connections at your address. Those will provide you with the best upload and download speeds at the best price. If not, you'll likely be better off with Spectrum, as AT&T's DSL and fixed wireless plans aren't a great value and come with a monthly data cap to boot.
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Are AT&T and Spectrum the same company?
Does AT&T have faster plans than Spectrum?
Technically speaking, AT&T has the fastest plan of the two providers, offering a 5Gbps fiber plan in over 100 cities across the country. Spectrum, which traffics in cable internet connections, maxes out at 1 gig. However (and there's almost always a however when we're talking about broadband), not all of AT&T's internet connections are fiber broadband. Over half of AT&T's footprint consists of slower DSL connections, which top out at around 100Mbps. That means in those areas, Spectrum will offer faster plans.
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Which provider is better, AT&T or Spectrum?
You may sense a theme here, but the better provider depends on what's available at your specific address. If your household is serviceable for AT&T Fiber, that'll be your best option. You'll find better value (a lower cost per Mbps) with AT&T Fiber plans and faster speeds. However, if AT&T's DSL or fixed wireless is all that's available to you from that company, then Spectrum should get your attention with its more consistent and reliable cable internet plans.
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Source: cnet.com