Plans starting at: $35
Popular Package: AT&T FIBER - INTERNET 5000
Download speeds up to: 5 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber & DSL
Plans starting at: $29.99
Popular Package: Up to 8Gbps
Download speeds up to: 8 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber
AT&T Staff rating
Industry-leading fiber internet speeds and strong reliability from AT&T
AT&T Fiber can support all your data-intensive internet activities, now and in the future. AT&T continues to lead the industry with multi-gigabit (5000 Mbps) internet speeds available in select areas and more speed on the way. Following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, AT&T is accelerating its fiber network expansion, adding an additional 1 million fiber customer locations annually starting in 2026 [6].
AT&T's network is growing even faster: AT&T agreed to acquire substantially all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber internet connectivity business—about 1 million fiber customers across more than 4 million fiber locations—in a $5.75 billion deal expected to close in the first half of 2026 [8]. This expansion will bring AT&T Fiber to major metro areas, including Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. The transaction will stimulate investment, create new middle-class jobs, and help AT&T reach approximately 60 million total fiber locations by the end of 2030—roughly doubling the number of locations where AT&T Fiber is available today.
This expansion means more customers will have access to AT&T's superior all-fiber internet service. When you add no contracts, no equipment fees, no data caps, and a reputation for reliable customer service, AT&T is a superior choice for all-fiber internet. In areas where only AT&T copper service is available, customers should also check other options and compare speeds and pricing.
PROS
Cons
Cities with AT&T availability
Brightspeed Staff rating
Brightspeed's large network offers customers a planned transition from DSL to fiber
Brightspeed is a newer ISP that began offering internet services to customers in October 2022. Brightspeed bought out many networks previously owned by CenturyLink (Lumen's ILEC business) for $7.5 billion. That purchase instantly made Brightspeed the 12th-largest ISP in the U.S. [1]. The company's mission is to bring fiber internet to as many customers as possible, as soon as possible.
Brightspeed launched its first Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network in March 2023 and has since made significant progress. The company has passed more than 2 million premises with fiber so far and expects to pass approximately 1 million additional homes in 2025 alone. With $575 million in new capital secured in June 2025 (expanding on $3.7 billion raised the previous year), plus more than $295 million in public broadband grants, Brightspeed is accelerating its fiber rollout to reach more than 5 million homes and businesses across its 20-state footprint in the coming years [4].
Brightspeed's goal to provide fiber to underserved areas is a worthy one. By creating more lightning-fast fiber infrastructure for those who currently lack access, Brightspeed is bringing opportunities to rural and suburban communities across 20 states in the Midwest, South, and on the East Coast. Customers will have ample support for remote jobs and responsive, smooth access to thousands of educational options online. The company's fiber network uses XGS-PON technology to deliver symmetrical multi-gig speeds across more than 530 communities [4].
All Brightspeed customers get the advantages of unlimited data and no contracts. Brightspeed also offers competitive, transparent pricing for its fiber plans. If customers are still on DSL, they will have to be patient with slower speeds while they wait for the fiber to arrive. The good news is that fiber is on the way, based on the aggressive buildout plans.
PROS
Cons
Cities with Brightspeed availability
AT&T Internet Plans
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AT&T Pricing
AT&T Fiber internet is affordably priced given its high quality and dependability
AT&T offers reasonable fiber pricing with first-tier fiber internet plans currently starting around $55/month.
AT&T won’t always offer you the lowest price for fiber in your area. But AT&T will offer you the low end of industry standard prices. For those prices, you’ll often get higher internet speeds from AT&T than from the competition. You will get good value for the internet speed you’re buying.
AT&T Fiber’s advantage is that their fiber connections give you equal download and upload speeds. So, even if AT&T Fiber and a cable provider offer you the same price for a speed they both call “300 Mbps,” you will not be getting the same speeds from fiber and cable providers.
All cable internet may have high download speeds, but has much slower upload speeds (usually around 10-20 Mbps). AT&T Fiber will give you the same upload speed as your download speed for your monthly price.
Having upload speed equal to your download speed can make a big difference for real-time activities such as video streaming and gaming. Fiber also offers low latency, which you’ll see in a ping test. So overall, you are getting more for your money with a fiber internet plan, even when fiber and cable plans advertise the same prices and download speeds.
There’s one drawback to AT&T’s pricing. AT&T’s copper-wired service (DSL/ IPBB) is priced at around the same as its first-tier fiber plan. This price is higher by Mbps given that copper service is much slower and less reliable than fiber. We hope AT&T will consider lowering the price of its copper service to give better value to DSL/IPBB customers.
Brightspeed Pricing
Brightspeed offers a very good deal on fiber internet with simple and straightforward pricing
One of Brightspeed’s real strengths is transparent pricing. Currently, there are no data caps, and no required contracts, which means you won’t get hidden fees popping up on your monthly bills as you will with many other ISPs. Brightspeed internet plan prices are excellent for fiber internet. The best part is that there are no surprise price hikes after promotional rates, which is standard practice with other providers. With Brightspeed Fiber, you can count on consistent pricing that gives you a lot of speed for a very attractive monthly cost. Brightspeed DSL pricing is not quite as good a deal because a DSL user’s internet speed and performance will be so much lower. But Brightspeed DSL may still be your best option if you have no other available cable or fiber providers in your area. Brightspeed is an active supporter of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. If you qualify for the program, which offers payment assistance for lower-income households, Brightspeed will match your ACP payment assistance. This very unusual benefit will result in your internet service being free of charge or almost free.AT&T Reliability and Performance
Decades of growth give AT&T reliable infrastructure and sophisticated operations
As the third-largest ISP in the United States, AT&T has massive corporate size and history on its side. AT&T’s home internet serves over 100 metro areas in 22 states, with over 19 million fiber internet passings [1] [2].
AT&T provides strong infrastructure and tech support. With 99% reliability for your internet connection, AT&T Fiber service is less likely to be disrupted by outages or slowdowns than many other internet providers [3].
AT&T’s reliability rating is higher than some other ISPs because AT&T customers do not have to work with internet data caps.
Many internet service providers have soft data caps. When you hit your data allowance for the month, your ISP will throttle your internet. Your internet speed will slow down to the point that only the simplest email tasks will be possible. You won’t be able to do complex web browsing, streaming, or your other usual internet tasks. In other words, your internet will become unreliable when you hit the limits of your data caps.
AT&T and other providers with no data caps give you peace of mind because you won’t suddenly lose most of your internet functionality in the third week of the month. Unlimited data is a major bonus for your internet connection’s reliability.
Brightspeed Reliability and Performance
Brightspeed Fiber will offer premium gigabit speed and reliability, but DSL performance will vary
If Brightspeed Fiber is available in your area, you will be getting fiber’s well-known gigabit speeds as well as a fiber connection that doesn’t slow down or glitch. Brightspeed Fiber will equip you for any internet activities you like, including online gaming, videoconferencing, and HD streaming on multiple devices. Like most fiber connections, Brightspeed will give you symmetrical upload and download speeds—an amazing advance over previous technologies. If Brightspeed is still offering DSL in your area, your performance and speed will vary depending on your location. Your download speed and your upload speed with a DSL connection will be slower than with fiber internet. You also may have higher latency than you will with fiber or cable. You can check your actual speed with our internet speed test. In many areas where Brightspeed offers DSL, there is no fiber or cable option yet. So Brightspeed may still be your best bet. You can order DSL and look forward to your turn on Brightspeed’s fiber installation list. And with the rapid pace of their planned fiber expansion, you might be next!AT&T Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
AT&T offers no equipment fees, optional self-installation, extra cybersecurity features
As long as you have AT&T internet service, you will also get to use an internet gateway at no charge [4]. (This gateway is a modem/router combo known as AT&T Smart Wi-Fi.) Your plan may also include a free Wi-Fi extender depending on your terms.
If you order AT&T Fiber, technicians will install an ONT (optical network terminal) and a fiber jack or ethernet jack.
Professional installation from AT&T will cost you $99 for either copper internet or fiber installation. If you are planning to order copper-based internet (DSL/IPBB) and there is already a dual-port phone jack in your home, AT&T can mail you a self-installation kit at no charge.
You can even self-install fiber internet if you are comfortable with a wall installation and following technical instructions.
AT&T customers have access to the AT&T ActiveArmor internet security app. The app will block fraud calls and guard risky Wi-Fi connections. For a small extra monthly charge, ActiveArmor offers advanced functions such as Identity Monitoring and Reverse Number Lookup.
AT&T also offers a Smart Home Manager app to manage your Wi-Fi and all smart home devices and check for outages.
Brightspeed Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Brightspeed offers advanced Wi-Fi in combo modem/router
If you order a Brightspeed Fiber plan, you will get free access to a premium Wi-Fi modem with Wi-Fi 6 technology. That advanced capability will give you 3 to 4 times faster connectivity. The modem will have greater data capacity and support extended battery life for in-home devices. (Your devices will need to be compatible with Wi-Fi 6 in order to perform at this higher level.) Modems that might come with your package would include the Actiontec C3000A, the Axon C4000, the Zyxel C4000, and the Zyxel C3000Z [3]. For some other Brightspeed plans, you may pay a $15/month equipment rental fee for your combo modem and router. Installation fees will also vary with your plan. You will get free installation for a DSL self-install or a technician installation of higher-speed fiber packages. A technician installation for DSL or a first-tier fiber plan will require a one-time $99 fee.AT&T Experience & Support
AT&T Customer Service provides 24/7 tech support and ranks #1
AT&T has a robust customer support framework, including community forums, live chat, and phone assistance.
Tech support is available 24/7, which can be a lifesaver if you work or study from home.
Billing and account support are available from 7 AM to 9 PM CT Monday through Friday, and 8 AM to 9 PM Saturday. Those Saturday hours are especially valuable if you work Monday to Friday and can’t squeeze in personal business during the week.
In 2023, AT&T ranked#1 for Customer Satisfaction in Residential Internet Service (North Central and West regions) with J.D. Power and Associates [5]. AT&T also ranked #2 in the South region.
Brightspeed Experience & Support
Brightspeed’s customer support is robust
Brightspeed receives 4 stars for Customer Service, with a promising beginning for a new company. Brightspeed provides a 24/7 chat interface for support as well as a helpline. The company also has a website with resources and FAQs to assist with simple questions. Some helpful features on the website include a troubleshooting & outage check, a tracker to tell you where your technician is, and a service appointment manager. A “quick bill pay” function will come in handy too. The Brightspeed Fiber network is very strong and is now producing a lot of customer satisfaction. With their rapid fiber buildout and commitment to customer service, we recommend Brightspeed as a good choice for your internet service, both now and for the future.AT&T FAQ's
Brightspeed FAQ's
AT&T Sources
[1] ATT.com. "Network Quality and Reliability."
[2] ATT.com. "Fiber Internet."
[4] ATT.com. "Learn About AT&T Internet Equipment."
[5] JDPower.com. "2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study."
[6] About.att.com. "Accelerating Fiber Network Expansion One Big Beautiful Bill Act" [7] Investors.att.com. "AT&T-Lumen Transaction" [8] https://about.att.com/story/2025/lumen-mass-markets-fiber-business.html [9] https://hostingjournalist.com/news/lumen-finalizes-5-75b-sale-of-quantum-fiber-business-to-at-tBrightspeed Sources
[1] Dgtlinfra.com. "Top 125 Internet Providers in the U.S."
[2] FierceTelecom.com. "Brightspeed Fiber Network Now Live in Six States."
[3] Brightspeed.com. "Compatible Modems."
[4] Datacenterdynamics.com. "Brightspeed secures $575m to ramp up fiber rollout to more than 5 million homes".AT&T Customers Review
Brightspeed Customers Review



