AT&T vs Comcast Internet Speed

Posted by John Taylor on December 8th, 2020

If you have both AT&T and Comcast internet service providers available in your area, you may find yourself spoilt for choices as both these internet service providers are known for offering a wide range of plans with different speeds, prices, and data limits. Although there are several factors that one must consider before choosing the plan from one of the service providers, most users generally choose a plan based on the speed being provided in their desired budget. In this guide, you will be provided information on AT&T vs Comcast internet speed, which will help you know whether to choose the service of AT&T or Comcast.

NOTE: The internet service provided by Comcast is known by the name of Xfinity.

AT&T vs Comcast Internet Speed Comparison

AT&T and Comcast are the two biggest Internet Service Providers in the US. While AT&T is known as the world’s largest overall telecommunications company in the whole world, Comcast Xfinity is the largest cable ISP within the country. While both are reliable and have their own advantages and disadvantages, to know which one is ideal for your needs, especially in terms of speed, the following information will help.

Type of Technology

The basic difference between AT&T and Comcast Xfinity internet services is the technology type used for transmitting internet signals to the users.

Comcast Xfinity is known for using cable to provide internet services to the users. This type of connection is commonly known as “fiber to the node” or FTTN. This implies that fiber-optic cables are passed through your area, reaching your home through the connection with pre-existing copper coaxial cables. With this type of connection, the speed is usually much higher than 150Mbps, however, with Comcast, it gets further enhanced and reaches as high as 2000 Mbps. Although the range is capable of providing over 2000Mbps speed in your area, the bandwidth gets shared by your neighbors using cable internet.

On the other hand, AT&T internet is known for using DSL and Fiber to provide internet service. For most people, DSL is the option generally available, offering internet service through copper telephone wires instead of underground cables. The company uses modern technology known as “Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line” or VDSL, providing faster speed than regular DSL. However, the speeds are slower in comparison to cable: generally around 75Mbps. Nevertheless, what’s the best thing about this internet types is that the connection is direct to your home, meaning you don’t have to share your bandwidth with neighbors, and the speed is consistent and quite affordable.

Coming to the fiber-optic internet of AT&T, it’s somehow is quite limited at the moment. While FTTH (Fiber to the home) is already available in some cities, offering a speed of 500 to 1000Mbps. 

AT&T vs Comcast Xfinity Internet Speeds (Minimum and Maximum Speed)

When it comes to speed, both Xfinity and AT&T gets you covered with its wide range of plans. Both providers are capable of providing 1Gbps(1000Mbps) speeds in certain locations, and Xfinity is known for offering even 2000Mbps speeds for some areas (fastest among providers in the US).

If going by the variety, AT&T has an extensive range of speeds on the lower side, plans beginning at 5Mbps with DSL, and also going high up to 100Mbps. Well, the availability of speed depends on the availability of internet types in your area. On the other hand, Xfinity’s internet plans begin with a little higher base speed of 25Mbps.

Going by the reports it has been found that the speed score for Xfinity’s internet plans is more than what they advertised, however, the same reports have shown that AT&T internet lags behind a lot in what they claim and what they actually offer to the users.

AT&T vs Xinifty Internet Prices and Plans

The monthly prices of Xfinity and AT&T are at par with the rest of the industry. Here, the important thing to remember is that for both Internet Service Providers, the prices advertised above are for the first 12 months.After 12 month period, the prices mightrise by (at least) a month.

Considering the above-mentioned prices and plans, it can be seen that the 100Mbps plan of AT&Tcomes in at a month (both DSL and fiber). And the nearest plan to that by Xfinity is the 150Mbps Performance Pro, which is priced at .99 a month — lesswith an additional 50Mbps speed. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that even though the bandwidth-sharing disadvantages of cable, Xfinity is still a better choice here. You are more likely to get advertised speed even though your neighbors might be consuming the bandwidth, you still have a 50Mbps buffer advantage — that too for cheaper per month.

Coming to higher speed options, the fiber internet 1000 of AT&T costs the same as the hybrid coaxial-fiber plan of Xfinity – offering the same speeds. However, the downside here is that the Xfinity internet plan has an upfrontfee of ,000. whereas AT&T charges you just .99 upfront.

Well, the above-mentioned information will help you know which internet service provider is suitable for your needs between AT&T and Comcast Xfinity.