AT&T vs. Spectrum

Is AT&T or Spectrum better for you?

AT&T and Spectrum offer comparable internet, TV and home phone services and plans. When comparing the two providers, you’ll find each to have different availability, pricing, internet speeds, equipment and more. Take a look at what each has to offer to determine which is the better provider for your home.

• Spectrum internet is available in more places than AT&T internet, but AT&T offers TV to more places through their DIRECTV service.
• Spectrum offers greater discounts for bundling.
• AT&T Fiber gives you the best value for high-speed internet. Spectrum internet may be a better option where AT&T Fiber is not available.
• AT&T’s DIRECTV offers better TV pricing and more channel packages, including their exclusive NFL SUNDAY TICKET.
• AT&T ranks higher than Spectrum in customer satisfaction across most JD Power categories and regions

At Allconnect®, we’ve done the research on AT&T and Spectrum for you, so you can easily compare and choose the better internet, TV and home phone provider for your home.

AT&T vs. Spectrum quick comparison

• Available in 21 states for internet, 50 states for TV
• Internet and TV bundles starting at $65/mo.*
• Standalone internet starting at $40/mo.*
• Internet download speeds range 5 to 940 Mbps
• TV channels range 155 to 330+
• 1-year contract required for internet
• 2-year contract required for TV

• Available in 45 states for internet and TV
• Internet and TV bundles starting at $89.98/mo.*
• Standalone internet starting at $44.99/mo.*
• Internet download speeds range 60 to 940 Mbps
• TV channels range 125 to 200+
• No contract required

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/6/18.

Click the category below to learn more about what sets these two providers apart.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum availability

Much of AT&T’s internet coverage spans 21 states, with service primarily in the southern states, areas of the Midwest, and select areas of California and Nevada. Spectrum’s availability includes select areas of 45 states, making it the second-largest cable internet provider in the U.S. Top service areas for each provider include:

• Los Angeles, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Atlanta, GA
• Chicago, IL
• Kansas City, MO

• St. Louis, MO
• Charlotte, NC
• Cleveland, OH
• Nashville, TN
• Austin, TX
• Dallas, TX
• Houston, TX

• Birmingham, AL
• Los Angeles, CA
• Orlando, FL
• Louisville, KY
• Kansas City, MO
• St. Louis, MO
• Charlotte, NC

• New York City, NY
• Rochester, NY
• Cincinnati, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Dallas, TX

• San Antonio, TX

• Milwaukee, WI

Spectrum offers internet service in more areas than AT&T. However, AT&T has greater availability for gigabit internet, with speeds up to 940 Mbps. AT&T and Spectrum internet speeds and pricing vary by location. Use Allconnect to find out if AT&T and Spectrum plans are available in your area. Check availability

AT&T vs. Spectrum bundles

AT&T and Spectrum offer bundle packages with varying combinations of internet, TV and home phone services. Here are the lowest-priced bundles featuring all three services from each provider:

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/6/18.

AT&T bundles feature a range of internet speeds, 6 DIRECTV package options and AT&T U-verse TV where available. This makes AT&T bundles highly customizable.

Spectrum bundles feature varying internet speeds where available, but some locations currently have only one internet speed option, typically either 60, 100 or 200 Mbps. Additionally, only 3 Spectrum TV package options are available to choose from.

In short, AT&T gives you more bundle options, but you also get less discounts for bundling and at least a 1-year contract. Spectrum gives you less options to choose from, but you get more discounts for bundling and the freedom of no contract.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum internet

AT&T offers DSL and fiber internet in select areas. Spectrum delivers internet over a cable network. The difference in internet type results in a few key differences, including availability, pricing and speeds.

• Availablility: 21 states
• Lowest starting price: $40/mo.*
• Highest starting price: $90/mo.*
• Starting speed: up to 5 Mbps DSL, 100 Mbps fiber
• Fastest speed: up to 50 Mbps DSL, 940 Mbps fiber
• Data caps: none with AT&T Fiber 1000 plan, 1 TB/mo. all other plans
• Included equipment: Wi-Fi Gateway Router
• Wi-Fi hotspots: access included for free

• Availability: 45 states
• Lowest starting price: $44.99/mo.*
• Highest starting price: $104.99/mo.*
• Starting speed: up to 60 Mbps
• Fastest speed: up to 940 Mbps
• Data caps: none
• Included equipment: wireless modem
• Wi-Fi hotspots: access included for free

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/6/18.

Spectrum internet offers faster speeds than AT&T’s DSL service for about the same monthly price. However, AT&T Fiber gives you speeds as fast as Spectrum’s fastest internet plan with a lower monthly price and higher availability.

AT&T Fiber slightly edges out Spectrum internet for top speeds with better availability and lower pricing on their top plan. However, Spectrum offers faster speeds and better availability than AT&T’s DSL service for a comparable monthly price.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum cheapest internet plans

If you’re looking for cheap internet plans in your area, AT&T and Spectrum both have plans starting at less than $50 per month. Here’s a look at the cheapest AT&T DSL and fiber plans compared to Spectrum’s cheapest internet plan.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/6/18.

AT&T offers a $10 discount off their DSL and fiber internet plans when bundling with TV or home phone. Spectrum offers their lowest internet plan for $29.99 per month when bundled with TV. Considering the starting price for standalone and bundled internet services, both providers offer comparable pricing. Among the lowest-priced plans, Spectrum offers faster internet speeds in most areas.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum fastest internet plans

Both AT&T and Spectrum offer gigabit internet, with download speeds up to 940 Mbps, but AT&T currently offers it in more areas.

• Mobile, AL
• Little Rock, AR
• Los Angeles, CA
• Oakland, CA
• Sacramento, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Jacksonville, FL
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Atlanta, GA
• Chicago, IL
• Indianapolis, IN
• New Orleans, LA
• Detroit, MI

• Jackson, MS
• Kansas City, MO
• St. Louis, MO
• Charlotte, NC
• Raleigh, NC
• Cleveland, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Nashville, TN
• Austin, TX
• Dallas, TX
• Houston, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Milwaukee, WI

• Oahu, HI
• Kansas City, MO
• New York City, NY
• Charlotte, NC
• Raleigh, NC
• Cincinnati, OH
• Austin, TX
• San Antonio, TX

Available internet speeds from AT&T, Spectrum and other internet providers will vary by location. Use Allconnect to see which internet speeds are available at your address.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum TV service

While AT&T and Spectrum offer comparable internet services, TV service is one category where AT&T has the clear advantage. AT&T offers U-verse TV in select areas, but offers it’s primary TV service, DIRECTV, across all 50 states. Here’s how DIRECTV compares to Spectrum TV service:

• Availability: 50 states
• Main TV package options: 6
• Channel range: 155 to 330+
• Starting price range: $35 to $110/mo.*
• DVR service: included
• DVR recrodings: up to 5 shows at once
• DVR equipment cost: 1 device free, then starting at $7/mo. each*
• Contract: 24 mos.

• Availability: 45 states
• Main TV package options: 3
• Channel range: 125 to 200+
• Starting price range: $64.99 to $104.99/mo.*
• DVR service: starting at $12.99/mo.*
• DVR recrodings: up to 2 shows at once
• DVR equipment cost: starting at $6.99/mo. each*
• Contract: none

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 8/6/18.

Another significant advantage AT&T offers TV subscribers is their exclusive sports packages, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET. This package, which offers every out-of-market game, every Sunday, is only available with DIRECTV. Spectrum’s one advantage over DIRECTV is that no contract is required for service. DIRECTV requires a two-year service agreement, with a price increase after one year. If you don’t mind the contract, however, DIRECTV is the better service for channel selection, DVR service and introductory pricing.

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AT&T vs. Spectrum customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is another category where AT&T consistently outshines Spectrum. Here are their most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index scores based on a scale from 1-100, for both internet and TV services.

ACSI ratings 2017 & 2018: internet

Providers	2017	2018
	69	68
	65	60

ACSI ratings 2017 & 2018: TV

	2017	2018
	68	64
	63	58

AT&T also outranked Spectrum in internet and TV service categories by J.D. Power. AT&T internet ranked higher than Spectrum in categories including Overall Satisfaction, Cost of Service and Communication across the West and North Central region. Spectrum did, however, rank higher than AT&T for Performance and Reliability and Customer Service in the southern region.