Compare AT&T Internet to Verizon Home Internet

Today's broadband internet competition includes these two heavyweights: AT&T Fiber service versus Verizon's cutting-edge 100% fiber-optic Verizon Home Internet service. As each company pumps billions into expanding its network and poaching customers, consumers stand to benefit from faster speeds, greater reliability, and lower prices. Before we dive into this Internet service comparison, we need to get one thing clear about the geographical coverage by both providers. Neither one provides the fiber Internet service in the same area, that is, a state. Down below, under availability, we list the states where AT&T Internet and Verizon Internet are available. They are expanding over the time, so they may "meet" at some point. When could that happen, we don't know. Probably not any soon. But as people still search to compare these two Internet providers, we did create this comparison page – AT&T Internet vs Verizon Internet. We believe it helps make a proper decision when you learn more about a specific Internet provider. Plus, they still offer wireless Internet which can be compared for real.

Anyhow, first we compare the fiber Internet between the two.

A Comparison of the Fiber Internet: AT&T vs Verizon

Beyond the marketing hype, which internet provider has the technological and financial muscle to win this bandwidth battle? The future of high-speed internet access in America partly depends on AT&T and Verizon domination in areas of their services. Read on as we compare these two internet giants and tell you which offers the best value for money.

Comparison of AT&T Fiber and Verizon Home Internet

AT&T and Verizon have been the biggest players in the broadband internet service market for years. Both companies now offer fiber optic internet to many homes and businesses. They market their services as AT&T Fiber and Verizon Home Internet, respectively. So, which comes out ahead regarding speed, reliability, coverage, and value? Here's how they stack up:

Speed

AT&T Fiber offers upload and download speeds of 300 to 5,000 Mbps, while Verizon Home Internet provides plans with speeds from 300 Mbps up to 940 Mbps. So, as you can see, AT&T offers significantly faster plans with access to much higher bandwidth. At the helm of this is their premium 5 GIG Speed, which offers one of the fastest internet speeds in the US.

On the other hand, Verizon Home Internet 1 Gig plan offers 940 Mbps download and 880 Mbps upload speeds. Both providers have symmetric or near-symmetric connections thanks to the use of fiber-optics technology.

Reliability

AT&T and Verizon are generally reliable internet service providers with limited coverage and a reputation for stability. Here is what to look into when about the reliability of fiber Internet connections:

• Fiber Optic Connectivity: Verizon Home Internet uses fiber optic cables to deliver service directly to homes and businesses in all their network. Fiber optic connections are less prone to interference or signal degradation over long distances. For its fiber plans, AT&T uses fiber only as well. For other plans, both AT&T and Verizon use a mix of fiber and ADSL, or ADSL only.
• Network Quality: Finding Internet network test results that could be called official is hard, or better say, almost impossible. The best measurement we could ask for here is the actual customer satisfaction survey by a third party company. For decades, J.D. Power, an American data analytics, software, and consumer intelligence company, has been doing researches about various services, including Internet ones. From their Residential Internet Service study in 2022, we find that AT&T ranked the highest in the South region, while Verizon ranked the highest in the East region.
• Uptime: AT&T claims 99% proven reliability for its Internet service. Verizon claims 99.9% network reliability.

The table below shows some of the technical aspects and features of the two Internet services:

Verizon Fiber vs AT&T Fiber

	AT&T Fiber	Fios Fiber
Fastest speed available	5 GIG Internet	1 GIG Internet
100% fiber network
Equal upload & download speeds
Unlimited internet data included
No annual contract
Equipment fee included

Pricing and Packages

Regarding pricing, there's no denying that Verizon has the upper hand here with its more competitively-priced plans. However, AT&T's service, although slightly more expensive, offers access to higher internet speed. Here is a detailed comparison of AT&T and Verizon in terms of pricing, plans, and value provided:

AT&T Fiber Pricing and Plans

AT&T offers fiber plans that range from 300-5,000 Mbps speeds. Here is a preview of their pricing for various plans:

• AT&T Fiber 300 Mbps – $55 per month
• AT&T Fiber 500 Mbps – $65 per month
• AT&T Fiber Up to 1 GIG Speed – $55 per month
• AT&T Fiber 2 GIG Speed – $125 per month
• AT&T Fiber 5 GIG Speed – $155 per month

All the plans include a $10 monthly AutoPay billing discount within two bills. They also have a monthly state cost recovery charge for Texas, Ohio, and Nevada users.

Verizon Home Internet Pricing and Plans

Verizon offers Internet Plans that range from 300 Mbps to 940 Mbps. Prices range from $34.99 a month to $74.99 a month. Their plans are as follows:

• 300 Mbps – $34.99 per month
• 500 Mbps – $59.99 per month
• 1 Gig – $74.99 per month

The plans above are with Auto Pay and select 5G mobile plans. Fios prices also include taxes and additional fees. Prices with Auto Pay and without select 5G mobile plans are:

• 300 Mbps – $49.99 per month
• 500 Mbps – $74.99 per month
• 1 Gig – $89.99 per month

In addition, at the time of creating this page, there is an incentive of $99 setup charge waived if you order Verizon Home Internet online.

Comparison of Price and Value

In terms of pricing, Verizon Home Internet generally offers lower base prices for comparable speeds, especially for lower to mid-range plans, but only if you are subscribed to one of the Verizon's select 5G mobile plans. Therefore, for plans up to 1 Gig of speed, if no qualifying Verizon mobile plan is selected, AT&T Fiber provides faster speeds and better prices. For value, both AT&T Fiber and Verizon offer simple plans with no hidden fees or surcharges. Verizon performs strongly for basic internet usage, streaming, and premium support. AT&T Internet delivers fast, reliable service but for a higher cost than Verizon if you use one of their 5G mobile plans.

Here is the table showing the plans from both providers, AT&T Fiber vs Verizon Internet (no mobile plan), head to head:

Internet Service Extras

This belongs to the pricing and value section. Any EXTRA added to a service adds to the value as well. Again, listed extras were available at the time of creating this page.

Here is what comes with the Verizon Home Internet packages:

► Check Verizon Internet Availability

And here is what comes as an extra with the AT&T Fiber Internet service:

Switcher Reward Card Offer: You’ll need a copy of your previous provider’s bill showing the Early Termination Fee (ETF) amount.

All AT&T Internet plans include AT&T ActiveArmor internet security. This free feature includes:

• Auto Fraud Call Blocking
• Spam Call Blocking
• Nuisance Call Alerts
• Nuisance Call Controls
• Unknown Calls to Voicemail
• Personal Block List
• Device Security
  Password + system checks (iOS). Password, Device & App Scan (Android).
• Breach Report Alerts

There is an advanced version of this service that has a monthly fee of $3.99 per line. Besides all of the features of the free service, this one also includes:

• Public Wi-Fi Protection
  VPN + Wi-Fi Alerts
• Identity Monitoring
• Reverse Number Lookup
• Caller ID
• Safe Browsing
• Theft Alerts
  Android only

► AT&T Fiber Availability

Availability of Internet Services by AT&T and Verizon

As mentioned in the beginning of this page, AT&T and Verizon do not overlap in areas of their fiber-optic Internet services. While AT&T Internet is available in 25 states, Verizon Internet is available in 10 states. Below you can see the list of states where their Internet service is available (not all state areas are covered by those services). All this refers to wired Internet service only. Wireless Internet delivered through their mobile networks is of totally different coverage.

AT&T Fiber is available in the following 25 states:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Wisconsin

Verizon internet availability by state:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Virginia
• Washington, DC

Availability in Rural Areas

Each of the two Internet providers, AT&T and Verizon, provide Internet service in rural areas.

AT&T offers the service called AT&T Internet Air. The service delivers high-speed Internet service to eligible rural households and small businesses via an outdoor antenna and indoor Wi-Fi® gateway router. The features and benefits of this service are:

• Typical download speeds of 90 to 300 Mbps.
• Upload speeds from 8 to 30 Mbps.
• Connect multiple devices at the same time.
• No data caps.
• Wi-Fi Gateway Router to connect your devices.

The monthly price of AT&T Internet Air is $60 with AutoPay and paperless billing discount. Pricing without the discount is $65 per month. In addition, there is a 20% discount on this internet service when bundled with a qualifying AT&T wireless service.

With Verizon, the Internet solution for rural areas comes in the form of 4G LTE wireless network. A radio signal connects a 4G LTE cell tower to a receiver at your home, providing internet access with no data caps and download speeds of 25-50 Mbps. This Verizon's service is called LTE Home Internet. It is offered via two plans, and the pricing is quite different, depending on if you use other services of Verizon, mobile in particular. Here are the two plans, with all the pricing scenarios:

• LTE Home
  • $25/month – with Auto Pay & select 5G mobile plans
  • $50/month – with Auto Pay
  • $60/month – without Auto Pay
  • 2 year price guarantee
• LTE Home Plus
  • $35/month – with Auto Pay & select 5G mobile plans
  • $70/month – with Auto Pay
  • $80/month – without Auto Pay
  • 3 year price guarantee
  • Verizon Cloud Unlimited backup included

The features and benefits of these plans are:

• 4G LTE Network
• Download speeds of 25 - 50 Mbps
• Upload speeds of 4 - 5 Mbps
• Wi-Fi 6 enabled LTE router included

Depending on the availability of rural Internet service provided by AT&T and Verizon, check and compare the prices and features. You should be able to make a wise decision if selecting this type of service.

Availability in Suburbs

Both AT&T and Verizon generally provide good coverage in suburbs and residential neighborhoods, as networks are denser in populated areas. In addition, they are expanding their networks continuously, so it can only get better. Again, it is really up to checking the service availability based on your address.

Customer Service and Support

As mentioned in the Reliability section, the source for the customer satisfaction which covers the Customer Service and Support is J.D. Power. Their 2022 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study was based on responses from 22,945 customers that, at that time, had internet service with a provider included in the study. In addition and for the same purpose of comparing AT&T Internet to Verizon Home Internet, we here use the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

Both AT&T and Verizon regularly score above the industry average, as tracked by J.D. Power and ACSI.

According to ASCI, in 2022, Verizon managed to score 72/100, upping by one point their 71 from last year. On the other side of the ring, AT&T got a 69/100 score that same year 2022, losing two points from their 71 from the previous year 2021. For comparison's sake, the average industry score in 2022 was 64, which means both providers are at least making strides in trying to have the best relationships with their customers.

Therefore, according to the above Internet Service Providers Satisfaction Benchmarks by Company survey done by ASCI, in 2022 Verizon ranked slightly above AT&T.

Taking a look into the second survey, J.D. Power's 2022 Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, we see the following:

• AT&T ranks highest in the South region for a fifth consecutive year, with a score of 761.
• AT&T ranks highest in the West region with a score of 729
• Verizon ranks highest in the East region for a 10th consecutive year with a score of 758.

The above study included 22,945 customers, and it measured overall satisfaction with internet service providers based on five factors:

• Performance and reliability
• Cost of service
• Communications and promotions
• Billing and payment
• Customer care

The study was fielded from November 2021 through August 2022. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics.

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AT&T Internet vs Verizon Internet – Final Verdict

Both AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios offer fast speeds, low latency, and reliable connectivity for 4K streaming, online gaming, and other advanced internet usage. However, real-world performance can vary in different locations and households.

In terms of plans and availability, AT&T wins with its 2 and 5 Gig plans, plus the coverage in 25 states. Verizon falls behind with its 1 Gig plan, and availability in 10 states. When it comes to pricing, Verizon is cheaper if you opt for one of their select 5G or Unlimited mobile plans. However, if you have no Verizon mobile plan, the result flips and AT&T gets better in pricing. For the customer service, Verizon is slightly better than AT&T.

For more info, visit the respective pages for the Internet service of these providers.

AT&T Fiber Internet ––– Verizon Home Internet