Spectrum vs ATT | Internet, TV, Mobile, You Name It, We Reviewed It!

If you live in certain parts of Florida, Texas, or California then it is possible the only two Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that are available to you are Charter Spectrum and AT&T. That being the case, you probably want to know which of the two internet providers is the better deal and has the faster and most consistent speeds, right? Have no fear! I can help you with that and save you the effort of having to research these things to find out the internet provider yourself. 

Spectrum vs AT&T – Which Is a Better Option Better for You?

Deciding which internet service provider is a better option for you is going to take more than just comparing the speeds available and the prices and calling it a day. Ultimately, it is going to depend on several variables including how often you use your internet and what you are using it for. Both Spectrum and AT&T also offer bundles so it could be a good idea to check out which ones they are offering in your area and how that affects their speeds and pricing.

There are many other things to consider as well, like whether you are alright with signing a contract for your internet services or if you would prefer to go with a contract-less option. You might be a large consumer of data, in which case one option is certainly better than the other regarding you and your needs. If customer service is a concern for you then one option is superior. As you can see there are a lot of things to consider. Thankfully, I'm going to cover all of that below and save you some time.

AT&T, Spectrum Quick Comparison

Three main things should be considered with any internet service provider and they make an excellent guideline for a quick comparison between Spectrum and ATT as internet service providers. These qualifications are contracts, data caps, and customer service.

Contracts

The first point of comparison between AT&T and Spectrum  internet is the most important thing you should be considering between them which is the contract options. In almost all cases you want to avoid contracts if possible because once you sign one you are obligated to continue with that service for the contracted amount of time and there is no telling what life will throw at you. Even the best internet providers like to be sneaky and try to hide extra charges in the fine print which I have had the unfortunate experience of falling for before. Learn from my mistakes.

AT&T has no contract-less options which means no matter what you are going to have to sign up for their service for a certain matter of time. Spectrum internet,  on the other hand, does not make you sign a contract which means you can terminate your service with them at any time for any reason without having to worry about paying a large cancellation fee. This is a clear win in Spectrum’s favor.

Data Caps

The second consideration is Data Cap. This is a major concern with all internet providers because, to be honest, it is extremely controversial. AT&T places a data cap on their users for two of their lower-end plans and doesn’t remove them unless you pay for their most expensive plan. Spectrum offers unlimited data no matter which plan you’re on. 

This seems like a hands-down win for Spectrum  internet but I still wouldn’t call it a loss for AT&T because the data cap they place on their services are extremely generous. Most people won’t go through a 1 TB data limit in a month and if you are one of those people you are probably already paying for their most expensive service so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Customer Service

Customer service is always a concern with all internet providers. They are notoriously bad and it is impossible to research customer service in the internet service provider industry without encountering hundreds of reports of truly despicable encounters with internet service provider customer service representatives. Unfortunately, that means even for the winner of this category, you are likely going to get poor service for any problems you might experience with their services.

In this case, AT&T is the clear winner for customer service. They scored 10 points higher in the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s report on internet service provider customer service than Spectrum did and they are ranked as number 2 in customer service for all internet service providers.

With this information in mind, you can't outright declare a winner between the two so we'll have to go a little more in-depth to decide which is going to be better for any given individual.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Internet Availability

Spectrum internet provider is available in a wide variety of places scattered all over the United States, but are not always available in your area. They have coverage in over 44 different states and provide internet services to 102.7 million customers. Their primary operating locations are New York, Texas, and California.

AT&T offers its services in 22 different states which might immediately lead you to believe that Spectrum is the winner here, but AT&T delivers to a greater number of customers at 122.8 million people.

As far as availability is concerned, AT&T has a narrower operating zone but still wins based on the number of people that have access to their services.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Bundles

Both Spectrum and AT&T offer bundling internet and TV services, but which one is better? They both offer services that include television and phone service so that is out as a deciding factor. 

AT&T internet offers a much larger variety of plans for their services than Spectrum internet which is certainly a point in their favor. AT&T offers a total of 179 different service options as opposed to the 28 that are offered by Spectrum.

That covers quantity, but what about quality? Well, the factors I am going to consider are speeds and prices. Those are what most people will likely consider being the most important qualifications.

As far as speed is concerned AT&T is the winner based on their max speed with bundles being over twice as fast as Spectrum provides. Spectrum Internet Ultra provides a max download speeds of 400 Mbps with their highest speed bundles. AT&T, on the other hand, offers several bundles at 1,000 Mbps that include both television channels and phone service.

For pricing, Spectrum wins based on the fact that their most expensive plans are slightly less expensive than the ones provided by AT&T.

Overall, I would say that AT&T takes the cake here based on the internet speed available with their bundles and the sheer quantity of options available for different prices and combinations of services. You are likely to find something perfect for your situation in AT&T's list of bundles whereas Spectrum's bundles are more general making AT&T the better internet provider for bundles.

Can I Transfer my ATT Phone to Spectrum?

In order to transfer your phone number to Spectrum Mobile, you'll need account info from your previous carrier, including your Account Number and Account or Number Transfer PIN. Note: Do not disconnect your service with your previous carrier before requesting to transfer your number to Spectrum Mobile.

U-Verse TV U-Family + AT&T Internet 100

This plan comes with a download speeds of 100 Mbps while also including AT&T’s U-Verse TV service which has TV internet. The U-Verse television service and the 100 Mbps download speeds DSL connection cost the same amount per month so by bundling them together you are effectively cutting the price of one in half. The television portion of this bundle comes with over 180 channels.

This bundle is only available via a contract that lasts 12 months and it does come with several fees. Unfortunately, this means that if you want to cancel your service early it will cost you a hefty early cancellation fee. Much like with AT&Ts normal internet services you can either rent equipment from them or bring your own. If you don't provide your own equipment then you will have to rent from them for a small fee.

If you purchase this Home TV Internet bundle now, at the time of the writing of this article, there are some internet deals on offer. You can get the usually pricey professional installation fee waived entirely by purchasing online. If you sign up for automatic pay AT&T is offering $5 a month off of your bill. They are also offering 3 premium channels completely free for the first three months of your service. All of these are available to new customers of the TV Internet Bundle with AT&T.

Spectrum Triple Play Select

Spectrum internet offers three choices for their “Triple Play” products and services which all include Internet, television, and phone services. This particular bundle is the cheapest option. It provides download speeds of 100 Mbps, over 125 television channels, and unlimited calling via phone service.

In truth, the bundle isn't much of a deal at all. To get each of these services separately from Spectrum would cost you approximately the same amount of money per month that you are paying with the bundle. The difference in prices is down to a couple of cents.

Bundle or no bundle, you are getting the same service for the same price anyway. It is pretty telling that Spectrum internet  has marketed their bundle as some kind of a great deal and the only way to know that it isn't a discount at all would be to check the prices of each service individually. They also make that process somewhat difficult by hiding the individual services on their site and constantly redirecting you to their bundle services. Very shady.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Internet Costs

The cost of internet services for your internet service provider is an important consideration and one that should weigh heavily since that is their primary purpose. There is a clear winner here.

Spectrum makes it very difficult to find pricing for all of their internet-only options which is a negative point against them, I actually couldn’t find any but the first one on their website and had to look elsewhere for information on their other internet-only plans. Spectrum offers three different plans for internet-only that range from 100 Mbps to 940 Mbps. Most internet service providers offer up to at least 1,000 Mbps so this is another mark against them. 

Their pricing for their 100 Mbps internet option is competitive but it just gets worse for their higher tier options. For their 400 megabit option, they charge more than AT&T does for their most expensive option. Their most expensive and faster speeds options isn't even as fast as most other internet service providers and is vastly overpriced.

AT&T's internet options are much more reasonable than Spectrum's. Their DSL and fiber internet plans cost the same amount and it is fairly low. You get more speed out of the fiber internet option but it isn't always available depending on the area you live in. Their DSL option can go up to 100 Mbps for less than Spectrum charges and if fiber is available you can upgrade to 300 Mbps at no extra cost. Their highest speeds are available to anyone that their fiber internet option is available to and it costs less than the mid-tier option from Spectrum. However, they do have lower data allowance and AT&T charges an activation fee of 9$.99-$39.99.

Regardless, AT&T is the clear winner here, Spectrum doesn’t even compare.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Internet Speeds

Much like AT&T, Spectrum offers three different tiers of internet speed. Disregarding the prices attached to each tier of speed they are fairly comparable.

Both services start at 100 Mbps at their lowest tier which is where most of the big-name internet service providers start for their cheapest internet service options.

For mid-tier options, AT&T offers a 300 Mbps option with their lowest tier fiber internet plan whereas Spectrum offers a 400 megabit per second plan as their mid-tier option. This would go in Spectrum's favor if not for the starting price. I have experience working with both 400 Mbps and 300 Mbps internet speeds and while the extra 100 Mbps is nice I don’t consider it a big enough difference to be worth the added cost.

AT&T maxes out at 1,000 Mbps for their most expensive internet option. Unfortunately, Spectrum can’t quite make it to a full gigabit internet speed. They fall short at 940 Mbps which is another mark against them. They are a very successful internet service provider that can’t even match the speeds of their top-most competitors. Most internet service providers offer an option for 1,000 Mbps right now including their competitor in this article, AT&T.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Data Caps

Data caps are one of the most controversial things internet service providers do. They are completely shameless about it and almost all internet service providers use it to gouge their customers for extra cash. In this case, Spectrum is the superior ISP with unlimited data capping.

AT&T does cap data for their lower end internet service options. For their DSL internet services, the data cap is 1 TB of data per month, after which they will charge you extra for every 50 GBs over your monthly limit up to a certain point. For their low tier fiber internet option, the  data cap is the same.

While these data caps are extremely lenient, they just can’t beat the unlimited data of Spectrum. All internet service providers should consider following Spectrum’s example in this regard and my hat is off to Spectrum for not greedily reaching into their customer’s pockets for more after they’ve already been paid for their service. Having unlimited data is a big benefit for those with heavy and consistent usage. Unlimited data applies to both upload, download, and streaming so if you run out of data every month then you want to consider getting unlimited data.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Cheapest Internet Plans

Spectrum and AT&T both offer what is essentially the same deal for their cheapest internet service option. Both offer up to 100 Mbps download speeds for their cheapest option and both offer them at the same price. AT&T offers its services through DSL whereas Spectrum's services are cable-based.

With this consideration in mind, I would say that there is no certain winner based solely on this internet option, but that is not all there is to consider. Unfortunately, AT&T does not offer a guaranteed 100 Mbps, they offer "Up to" that amount. You don't necessarily get that much speed because Wi-Fi speed may vary based on your location and data cap. It's still fairly easy to get  5-25 mbps with the service though.

So, with that in mind. This section will go to Spectrum for their more consistent download and upload speed for the lowest price.

AT&T Internet (DSL)

AT&T is the second-largest provider of DSL internet in the country. Their DSL plans are all the same in pricing because, even though they are separated into 5 different plans, they are one plan that provides anywhere from 5 to 100 Mbps for download speeds that vary based on your location.

They provide this service in 22 different states across the United States to over 120 million people. The internet speeds may vary which can be a point of contention because no matter what speed you are getting you are paying the same prices which means the lower your speed is the less competitive the pricing is.

AT&T Fiber

AT&T fiber internet is provided to over 25 million people in their zone of operation and they are offered at competitive prices. AT&T, when compared to other internet service providers, is a bit more expensive but not many can compete with the Spectrum coverage. They are the third-largest provider of fiber internet services in the nation.

AT&T vs. Spectrum TV Services

Spectrum doesn’t offer as many channel options as AT&T does for the same prices.

Spectrum offers 3 television only services. TV Select comes with over 125 channels to view. TV Silver comes with 175 or more channels. TV Gold comes with over 200 channels.

In comparison, AT&T offers 7 different options. Their basic options for their three different television services all start at a slightly higher price but also offer more channels. The basic package from their U-Family service offers more channels than the TV Silver package from Spectrum. The rest of the options that aren’t basic packages offer more channels than Spectrum’s most expensive package, so there isn’t much competition here.

AT&T has better television service.

AT&T vs. Spectrum Customer Satisfaction

When the ACSI conducted their report on internet service provider customer service they found that Spectrum was 3 points below average, whereas AT&T scored 7 points above average. AT&T is ranked second, just behind Verizon FiOS, for customer service and Spectrum is ranked at 9th. That said, I’ve never had a poor customer service interaction with either ISP and both have relatively good customer satisfaction.

Is AT&T a Reliable Network?

AT&T improved their rankings from second place to first in the categories of overall performance, reliability, and call performance since 1H 2021. AT&T also held on to its awards for speed, data, and text performance.

How Reliable is Spectrum?

Spectrum is a highly-rated internet service provider. Spectrum ties for fifth in our rating of the Best Internet Service Providers of 2022, and does a good job at balancing cost with performance. Its plans are easy to understand and choose from.

AT&T Internet vs Spectrum Recap

Final Word on Spectrum vs AT&T

Overall, AT&T is better than Charter Spectrum. They not only have better  bundle internet plans, but also singular plans and internet data. For most people the Bundle deals at $49.99/month is more than enough, but the price and service may very per location.

FAQs

1. Is Spectrum or AT&T better?

AT&T is less expensive than Spectrum—but only if you live in an AT&T Fiber service area. If you're limited to AT&T DSL, look to Spectrum for affordable high-speed Internet. AT&T and Spectrum both offer download speeds of up to 940 Mbps. AT&T's customer service is superior, but Spectrum's is the most improved.

2. Is Spectrum Internet any good?

Spectrum internet is great. The speeds are fast, and the customer service is some of the best I have ever experienced. Plus, they offer a wide range of packages to fit everyone's needs. I would highly recommend Spectrum to anyone looking for a great internet experience.

3. Is Spectrum and AT&T the same?

Spectrum and AT&T are not the same. Spectrum is a type of wireless communication, while AT&T is a telecommunications company.

4. What is cheaper AT&T or spectrum?

AT&T is cheaper than spectrum. AT&T is a telecommunications company that offers services such as internet, TV, and phone. Spectrum is a company that offers internet and TV services.

5. Can I have Spectrum and AT&T Internet at the same time?

Yes, you can have spectrum and AT&T Internet at the same time. Spectrum provides high-speed Internet access through a wired or wireless connection, while AT&T provides high-speed Internet access through a wired connection.