AT&T vs. Brightspeed: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?
Find the best plan when there are too many to choose from
Oct 9, 2026 | Share 
Internet Buying Guides, Provider Comparisons (Versus)
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See AT&T disclaimers | Brightspeed disclaimers.
Compare AT&T and Brightspeed head-to-head
AT&T is a well-known internet provider that’s widely available across the U.S. It offers several different connection types, including one of the largest fiber networks in the country. Brightspeed offers fiber and DSL connections with a wide variety of plans. Its fiber is a great deal. Its DSL plans…not so much.
Services at a glance
| Provider | Services |
|---|---|
 | |
|
* Limited availability in select areas. Applies to select Brightspeed Fiber plans only.
Pros and cons: T-Mobile vs. EarthLink
Pros
High speeds
Wide fiber availability
No contracts
Cons
May require AT&T’s gateway
Price hikes after 12 mos.
Pros
Very high speeds
Low-price fiber options
No contracts
Cons
Limited fiber availability
Expensive DSL plans
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing | Deals and promotions | Upfront costs | Recurring fees | Customer ratings | Final call | FAQ | Methodology
In this comparison:
Plans and pricing: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
AT&T has a wide range of plans, but Brightspeed has a ridiculous range, from 15 to 8,000Mbps (8Gbps). Brightspeed’s fiber plans come in slightly cheaper than AT&T, but its DSL plans aren’t such a great deal.
AT&T Internet Plans
| Plan | Price* | Download Speed | Connection Type |
|---|---|---|---|
AT&T Fiber Internet 300 | $35/mo. for 12 mos. | Up to 300Mbps | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber Internet 500 | $50/mo. for 12 mos. | Up to 500Mbps | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 | $65/mo. for 12 mos. | Up to 1,000Mbps | Fiber |
AT&T Fiber Internet 5000 | $95/mo. for a limited time | Up to 5,000Mbps | Fiber |
AT&T Internet Air | $55/mo. plus taxes | Up to 300Mbps | 5G Home Internet |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See AT&T disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: Internet 300
The Internet 300 plan gives plenty of speed for the average household at a fraction of the cost of other fiber plans. See our methodology for more information.
AT&T has some incredibly fast fiber speeds; however, for most households, multi-gigabit plans don’t have a huge impact on your online experience. You do get more speed per dollar spent when you go with faster plans, but if you’re paying for more bandwidth than your household could ever use, you’re not actually getting a better value. Make sure you know how much speed you need to make sure you’re comparing the plans that best fit your online habits.
Brightspeed plans and pricing
Brightspeed Internet Plans
| Plan | Price* | Download Speed | Connection Type |
|---|---|---|---|
$55/mo. | Up to 15Mbps | DSL | |
$65/mo. | Up to 40Mbps | DSL | |
$29.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 200Mbps | Fiber | |
$39.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 500Mbps | Fiber | |
$49.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 940Mbps | Fiber | |
$59.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 2,000Mbps | Fiber | |
$89.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 5,000Mbps | Fiber | |
$119.99/mo. w/ autopay & paperless billing discount of $10.00/month | Up to 8,000Mbps | Fiber |
* Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See Brightspeed disclaimers.
Our favorite plan: Fiber 200
The Fiber 200 plan still gives a decent amount of speed at one of the lowest prices available for a fiber plan. See our methodology for more information.
Brightspeed has even faster speeds than AT&T! And the fiber plans have a slightly lower monthly cost. But as previously mentioned, multi-gigabit plans don’t add much for the average household, except a higher bill. Depending on your needs, fiber speeds at or below 1Gbps can be a great deal by giving you the reliability of fiber without paying for speed you won’t use.
Deals and promotions: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
Get three months of YouTube TV free with a new AT&T Fiber plan. Terms apply
Ends 10/19/2026
Upfront costs: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
AT&T has fairly standard up-front costs and equipment rentals. Brightspeed’s listed fees are similar to AT&T’s, but they aren’t very transparent, so you could end up incurring hidden fees.
Installation cost
| Installation fee | |
|---|---|
AT&T | |
Brightspeed |
AT&T offers both professional installation and free self-installation. Brightspeed is less transparent with its installation fees, in some cases crediting the installation fee back to customers on their bill and other times requiring an additional fee for a technician to come out and perform the installation. We don’t like surprise up-front costs.
Want to know if AT&T or Brightspeed is in your area?
Find out if AT&T and Brightspeed are available where you live by entering your zip code below.
Recurring fees: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
| Equipment fee | Other fees | |
|---|---|---|
AT&T | ||
Brightspeed |
AT&T has fairly standard equipment rental fees; however, if you get fiber from Brightspeed, you get your equipment for free.
Price hikes
AT&T’s prices have a promotional period of 12 months, after which the prices go up. Brightspeed doesn’t have price hikes and still manages to beat AT&T’s starting price. Neither provider has long-term contracts, which means if you don’t like the price you have (or are about to have), you can always switch providers.
Customer ratings: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
| AT&T | Brightspeed | |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | 5.9/10 | N/A |
| Most reliable | 8.7/10 | 8.7/10 |
| Customer's choice | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 |
| Best value | 4.3/10 | 5.4/10 |
| Fastest | 235.5Mbps (National average) | 125.7Mbps (National average) |
Data based on our Annual Internet Service Provider Review.
Both AT&T and Brightspeed were highly rated in reliability and customer feedback in our 2026 Internet Service Provider Review. Brightspeed also came out slightly ahead in ratings for value and customer service, while AT&T was rated higher for average speed.
Ready to switch to AT&T or Brightspeed?
Enter your zip code below to see if these two providers are available to you.
Final call: AT&T vs. Brightspeed
AT&T and Brightspeed have similar fiber offerings, with Brightspeed coming out ahead on monthly cost. Brightspeed does have some significant up-front costs that they aren’t very transparent about, so make sure you talk with an agent and confirm how much you’ll actually be paying before you commit.
If, however, you live in an area where Brightspeed only offers DSL, we suggest going with AT&T Fiber, which is a much better deal.
More about AT&T and Brightspeed
FAQ about AT&T vs. Brightspeed
Where is Brightspeed available?
Can I install AT&T internet by myself?
What is the difference between Brightspeed’s Tech Install and Standard Install?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our Annual Internet Service Provider Review, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
Our favorite plan
The average household needs internet speeds of at least 300Mbps but not more than a gig (1,000Mbps), so the best plan we recommend for each provider is always within that range. We also consider plan specifics, like added costs or included perks, and compare all the options from each provider to national averages. Finally, we account for tech type differences, since you might not need as much speed on a fiber plan as you would on a less-reliable fixed wireless or cable plan. Learn more about how much speed you need, and enter your zip code in our provider lookup tool to see what you can get in your neighborhood.
A note about pricing
The prices you see may not reflect the standard rates these providers could charge after an introductory period. You’ll see the standard rates on broadband nutrition labels displayed during checkout, along with equipment fees, installation fees, contract requirements, and data caps (if any). Always view this information before you sign up for internet service.
Plans disclaimers
AT&T Internet Disclaimers
| Plan | Disclaimer |
|---|---|
AT&T Fiber Internet 300 | Price + taxes and fees for new customers in select markets after discounts w/elig Autopay & paperless bill. Discounts start w/in 3 bills. |
AT&T Fiber Internet 500 | Price + taxes and fees for new customers in select markets after discounts w/elig Autopay & paperless bill. Discounts start w/in 3 bills. |
AT&T Fiber Internet 1000 | Price + taxes and fees for new customers in select markets after discounts w/elig Autopay & paperless bill. Discounts start w/in 3 bills. |
AT&T Fiber Internet 5000 | Limited availability in select areas. Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds may vary. For 5 GIG, single device wired speed maximum 4.7Gbps. |
AT&T Internet Air | Includes $10 off with AutoPay and Paperless Bill |
Brightspeed Internet Disclaimers
| Plan | Disclaimer |
|---|---|
Monthly prepayment required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Monthly prepayment required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. | |
Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location. |
Deals Disclaimers
AT&T, Fiber + Free YouTube TV — w/ elig AutoPay & Paperless bill. Limited availability in select areas.
Brightspeed, Get a Card Worth Up to $300 — Available internet speeds may very by address & not available in all areas. Brightspeed Prepaid Mastercard, up to $300: Limited time offer; subject to change. While supplies last. New Brightspeed customers only who maintain qualifying service (in good standing) for at least 90 days after install. Requires purchase of qualifying Brightspeed Fiber internet service in select areas. Household limits may apply. Must provide valid email at the time of order. Redemption code & instructions will be sent by email 90 days after installation. Redemption code will expire 60 days from notification. No reissuance of code permitted. Virtual card is issued by Pathward®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. No cash access or recurring payments. Can be used where Debit Mastercard is accepted online, for phone/mail orders, or in stores that accept mobile wallet. Virtual card will be valid for up to 6 months after issuance; unused funds will forfeit after the valid thru date. Terms and conditions apply.
Author - Peter Christiansen
Peter Christiansen writes about telecom policy, communications infrastructure, satellite internet, and rural connectivity for HighSpeedInternet.com. Peter holds a PhD in communication from the University of Utah and has been working in tech for over 15 years as a computer programmer, game developer, filmmaker, and writer. His writing has been praised by outlets like Wired, Digital Humanities Now, and the New Statesman.
Editor - Jessica Brooksby
Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.
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