Xfinity and U-Verse are compared, including speed data and network information. Also, check more articles, Xfinity Internet Plans.
AT&T vs. Xfinity
In the United States, Xfinity and AT&T are two of the most popular high-speed Internet providers. They also share most of the country’s coverage regions.
AT&T’s DSL service is a cost-effective choice that works nicely with the company’s popular DirecTV service. The cable from Xfinity provides better speeds at a somewhat higher cost. In select regions, AT&T also provides fiber service. AT&T’s DSL and Fiber offerings are included in the statistics on this page.
Customers who want cable TV but don’t want a dish in their yard might consider Xfinity’s X1 TV package. In a few chosen places, both carriers provide gigabit speeds.
The main differences between Xfinity and AT&T Internet include network variances, overall speeds, and customizable TV packages. All three are discussed in-depth further down.
Picks of the Day
AT&T Internet is good for sports fans, students, and budget shoppers.
AT&T is an excellent option for students and budget consumers alike. They provide dependable speeds DSL coverage and a variety of TV packages.
AT&T is often combined with DirecTV satellite TV, which provides some excellent entertainment choices, including NFL Sunday Ticket. DSL isn’t always as fast as Xfinity cable, but it’s typically the best choice in rural regions.
- XFINITY: Ideal for Families, TV Fans, and Techies
- Logo of Xfinity
- Recommended for: TV Fans in Family Homes
- Techies
Fast speeds and customizable packages are two of Xfinity’s (previously Comcast Xfinity) significant characteristics. They generally provide the most excellent value for high rates and TV service, especially in suburban and metropolitan locations.
The data limitations on Xfinity are high enough that most users will have no trouble streaming material, and the package price is attractive for those who like straight-quality entertainment. Their x1 “smart TV” platform includes both on-demand and lives content.
Cable vs. DSL vs. Fiber-Optics in Networking
The networks that power Xfinity and AT&T are the most significant distinction between them.
To offer digital Internet and TV service, Xfinity relies on cable infrastructure. Their grid is “fibre to the node” (FTTN) in most locations, which means futuristic fiber-optic connections reach into your neighborhood, where data is switched to ordinary coaxial TV cables (which have stood around for decades and initially served Cable TV only). In most regions, maximum speeds are far above 150 Mbps. However, bandwidth is shared among neighbors; therefore, connections tend to be sluggish during busy hours. (Everyone watches Netflix in the afternoon or evening.)
Fiber to the Node employs modern fiber lines to reach your area, transitioning to coaxial cable solely for the last leg.
AT&T makes things a little more tricky by offering two different services: DSL and Fiber. DSL is the only choice for the great majority of consumers.
Even though AT&T’s VDSL technology is substantially quicker than standard DSL, it is still a touch slower than cable in most circumstances (closer to 75 Mbps). For the ordinary household, it’s still absolutely enough. (In public, most Internet users opt for plans with rates of 50 Mbps to save money.) Because the connections are direct, the rate you get will be much more constant than with Xfinity cable, actually if it is quieter general.
The silver lining is that AT&T has been rapidly updating its network, and genuine “Fiber to the Home” (FTTH) relationships are becoming a reality in certain places. These connections have rates ranging from 500 to 1,000 megabits per second.
AT&T has also been incorporating fiber into its network to replace aging copper networks, resulting in a hybrid fiber-copper system similar to Xfinity’s.
Xfinity and AT&T both have extensive coverage areas
There’s a good possibility you are, as you can see from the coverage maps below. AT&T and Xfinity are two of the world’s major telecommunications companies. Even where AT&T does not provide Internet or phone service, its DirecTV satellite service offers almost complete coverage throughout the United States.
Is Xfinity faster than AT&T in terms of speed?
Because speed is likely the most relevant measure here, we’ve compiled speed averages from around the country to deliver you a feeling of how each provider functions.
The Battle of the Televisions: X1 vs. DirecTV vs. Digital Cable
AT&T has two TV services: DirecTV, which is satellite and needs a dish, and AT&T, Digital TV, which is digital TV delivered over the same network as their Internet access.
DirecTV provides more channels, more robust sports alternatives and is available nationally. Their digital TV options are more restricted and will eventually be bundled into a single package dubbed “AT&T Entertainment.” This will very certainly feature data-cap-free streaming to your mobile devices, similar to DirecTV… as long as you have AT&T mobile, of course.
The key attractions are the futuristic UI and powerful “smart DVR” features on Xfinity’s X1 platform. It is the apparent winner for prominent families that want access to all channels and sophisticated recording possibilities.
The options are almost identical in terms of channels – DirecTV is less expensive for TV-only service, while Xfinity is often less expensive as a combined Internet/TV package.
The most significant benefit DirecTV offers over the other alternatives is access to NFL Sunday Ticket for sports lovers. On the other hand, Xfinity has the most excellent budget cable TV service, with options as little as $20 per month for clients who require a few channels.
Data limitations, customer service, and fine print: almost 200 Internet providers in the United States now have them despite significant consumer uproar. In most service regions, Xfinity and AT&T both have data limits of close to 1 Terabyte as of this writing.
Data limitations are inconvenient for heavy streamers and households with extensive Internet usage. Customers who use many than a Terabyte per month force to change to a more expensive business-class plan or pay high overage data penalties.
However, as of June 2018, the average monthly data consumption on Xfinity plans was just 100 Mbps, implying that a subscriber would have to consume ten times the amount of other customers even to come close to exceeding the limit.
For comparison, I’m writing this on an Xfinity connection, and my monthly bandwidth use is roughly 150–200 Mbps, according to their dashboard. Every day, I utilize my residential 200 Mbps connection for a home office and bandwidth-intensive programs like Skype. Depending on how many neighbors are online, the upload/download speeds I receive through Wi-Fi range from 90/4 to 190/25.
Regarding customer service, Xfinity and AT&T are about equal, with AT&T scoring slightly better. In recent years, Xfinity seems to have stepped up its game, aiming to enhance the quality of its contact centers and make pricing clear.
AT&T U-verse vs. Xfinity: Installation and Equipment
Both Xfinity and AT&T charge a price for installation, which varies depending on your location and how much wiring and hooking up your house requires.
Installation Fees and Considerations
Xfinity is considerably more accommodating if you can utilize your modem and router. They identify the best modem, router, and gateway brands and models in all price levels, and installation is simple. If your house already connect to Xfinity cable service, using your equipment save you the installation date and charge. When you’re ready to join it, call, and they’ll lead you through the activation process over the phone.
On the other side, AT&T has a few stipulations. A leased AT&T modem is required for their fiber service. If you want to customize your network further, you may use your router on top of it. However, getting rid of the $5–10/month lease price that comes with it is out of the question. (Unfortunately, most fiber services fall under this category.)
AT&T U-Verse and DSL plans are more flexible in terms of equipment, but they don’t make the procedure as plain or straightforward as Xfinity. The AT&T website has a store where you may buy permitted devices. Approvedmodems.com includes a more user-friendly list with third-party purchase choices like Amazon.
Lease expenses for modems and routers
For $5–10 a month, AT&T and Xfinity will lease modem/router combo systems. Additional monthly costs apply to DVRs, set-top boxes, and other home networking devices. Special equipment toss in as a “freebie” with more sophisticated combined Internet/TV/phone agreements with both carriers.
Xfinity internet vs. AT&T U-verse: Bundle Plans
AT&T delivers the most outstanding value to bundle deals. Their cost is hard to match if you require great Internet, a landline phone, and quality TV service. Their DirecTV service is unquestionably one of the finest in the country, and their digital TV isn’t terrible either. If you’re fortunate enough to have their fiber service at your location, there’s no reason not to give it a try for 30-days.
Our AT&T deals page has the most up-to-date offers
If Internet service is more essential to you than TV, Xfinity will almost certainly cost more but provide faster speeds in most locations. If you live in the suburbs, Xfinity is likely to deliver rates at least twice as fast as the DSL competitors.
On our Xfinity offers page, we’ve gathered and compared the most recent Xfinity bundles.
It’s All About the Location
Your location has a significant impact on the level of service you get from both Xfinity and AT&T. Customer service from Internet providers is often uneven since the level of service you will be determined by the representative you speak with on the phone or the technician who does the installation at your home.
If the person you’re speaking with on the phone for tech support isn’t helpful, don’t be afraid to hang up and call-back – you’ll almost probably transfer to another agent who capable to help you.
Xfinity vs. AT&T U-verse: AT&T triumphs in terms of reliability, while Xfinity triumphs in terms of speed.
To summaries, AT&T triumphs in TV and dependability, whereas Xfinity triumphs in network customization and speed.
Most clients’ decision is based on speed needs and which TV service they want. Our money is on DirecTV, although Xfinity internet is a tough competitor on price. Xfinity provides the most flexible price if you have a big family or don’t care much about the NFL.
