AT&T vs. Optimum: Which Internet Provider Should You Choose?

AT&T vs. Optimum: Which is better for your home?

Either provider is a solid home broadband contender, both offering high-speed internet service supported by a fiber connection. CNET's top pick is AT&T due to its larger availability and overall long-term value. If Optimum is the only available option at your location, you can get competitive introductory rates in the first year as well as additional perks that come with the service.

When we pit AT&T and Optimum home internet services against each other, what exactly are we comparing? AT&T is one of the titans of the telecom industry, with broadband services available to over 21 million customers in 22 states across the US. Optimum, on the other hand, offers home internet to nearly 5 million subscribers across 21 states.

AT&T Internet offers fiber-optic internet service, DSL and fixed-wireless options. Optimum plans are mostly cable internet, but it has a growing number of fiber internet tiers too. Each company's fiber plans will give customers the most value. We'll see some overlap between their respective coverage maps, so in some cases, you could be faced with a choice between them when shopping for an internet service provider. 

Additionally, we'll compare plans, prices, promos and more to see which ISP might suit your home best. Let's dive in deeper to understand how they match up. 

AT&T

Fantastic fiber options, but DSL is a no-go

Our take - Let's start with AT&T's advantages over Optimum: greater availability and a more extensive fiber network. AT&T has publicly committed to boosting its fiber reach over the next few years, covering at least 30 million customers by the end of 2025. Currently, it's available to just over 21 million households compared with Optimum's 5 million.

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Optimum

Excellent starting prices for cable internet service

Our take - Optimum aims to keep things simple with fast speeds and solid value across its fiber and cable offerings. Optimum has five fiber tiers: 300Mbps, 1,000Mbps, 2,000Mbps, 5,000Mbps and 8,000Mbps. It only offers two cable tiers: 300Mbps and 1,000Mbps. Like AT&T, it doesn't charge an additional equipment rental fee, require a term agreement or enforce data caps. It only offers its fiber plans in some of its markets, although not as extensively as AT&T.

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AT&T vs. Optimum: Availability and coverage map

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At the top of the page, I mentioned that AT&T is available in 22 states and Optimum in 21 states across the US. As seen from the map above from the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T's footprint covers more people. In fact, according to the FCC's numbers, AT&T is available to just over 48% of the country, while Optimum only reaches a little over 6% across the nation. 

When you take a peek at some of the actual locations covered by the two ISPs, Optimum has Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the northeastern tri-state area -- Connecticut, New Jersey and New York (including New York City) -- all to itself. AT&T, on the other hand, doesn't have to compete with Optimum in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Where is there crossover? Both AT&T and Optimum provide services in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.     

Both touch a comparable number of states, but AT&T can claim more widespread availability to customers across the US.

Compare AT&T and Optimum plans and prices

AT&T and Optimum each provide a variety of internet connection types. AT&T features DSL, fiber and fixed wireless options, while Optimum offers cable and fiber plans. Let's explore a bit more to see how they compare. 

AT&T plans and pricing

Optimum fiber internet plans

Optimum cable internet plans

I can feel your pain if you're feeling information overload. Let's see what we can do to simplify things. All of Optimum's offerings are better than AT&T's DSL and fixed wireless options. You get better download and upload speeds and won't have to deal with data caps. 

Once we start looking at AT&T's fiber tiers of 300Mbps and above, it becomes a win for AT&T. First of all, fiber internet always outperforms cable internet connections. Fiber connections feature symmetrical download and upload speeds (cable internet has much slower upload speeds than download speeds). Now, Optimum's fiber network is expanding. According to Optimum's Q3 2024 report, there was a 63% increase in total fiber customers when compared to last year. AT&T, out of its third quarter of reporting for 2024, says approximately 28.3 million of its customers are eligible for fiber. Optimum Fiber also features some multi-gig plans -- a 2Gbps tier for $75 per month and an Optimum 5 Gig plan for $100 monthly -- but they're currently only available in select markets.

Regarding cost, AT&T has the edge -- if you compare its fiber plans to Optimum's cable tiers. On the other hand, if you're in an area where Optimum Fiber is an option, its lower prices give it a slight advantage over AT&T Fiber. Optimum's gig plan is $30 cheaper per month, and the 300Mbps plan is a savings of $15 monthly. Yes, Optimum will bump up your bill amount after 12 months, which is common among ISPs. Still, saving at least $30 a month on the gigabit plan for the first year is a good deal.

Service terms with AT&T and Optimum

Let me cut to the chase: AT&T and Optimum aim to do right by their customers by minimizing the extra charges and fees. For example, neither provider requires a term agreement, so there's no fear of early termination fees. Let's take a peek at other terms and conditions you might encounter. 

No monthly equipment fees

In 2022, both AT&T and Optimum charged an additional $10 per month for equipment. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Both providers have trashed their previous fees and now include gateway devices (modem or router) in the monthly cost. That's great news.

One-time installation fee 

Optimum has a steeper setup charge, which runs $100, but is included if you order online. Similarly, AT&T will waive its installation charge -- a $99 fee -- if customers order online.

No data caps

All Optimum customers get unlimited data with all plans. That eliminates any worries about possible data overage fees or throttling issues hindering your broadband connection's performance. The same applies to most AT&T plans, except for the DSL and fixed wireless options. Those are still burdened with data caps, unfortunately. Customers will be charged an extra $10 for each additional 50GB of data used per month, up to $100 per month. Chalk this one up as a win for Optimum.

Perks and promos with AT&T and Optimum

Optimum and AT&T offer some enticing promos to lure potential customers. 

AT&T comes strong with the perks. To start, customers who sign up online will receive a $50 to $150 AT&T Visa Reward Card. Additionally, new fiber customers will get free access to AT&T's nationwide network of 30,000 hotspots. 

Optimum's no slouch, either. First, It has a 60-day money-back guarantee for its home internet services. Second, Optimum gifts new customers an Amaze Gift Card, with a value of up to $500, if they sign up for the gigabit and faster plans. Third, new customers save money by bundling with Optimum Mobile or a TV plan and be eligible for a $200 to $400 gift card.

How does AT&T and Optimum fare on customer satisfaction ratings?

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Let's start here: ISPs are near the very bottom among all industries for customer satisfaction. Within that context, AT&T fares quite well within the category, while Optimum has some work to do. 

AT&T appeared in the top four among all internet providers nationwide in J.D. Power's 2024 US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study. It placed at the top in two regions -- the East and West -- and had an average score of 591 out of 1,000 possible points across all four regions. Optimum typically performed below the region's average and was second-to-last in the East and South regions with 471 and 496 points, respectively.

The latest metrics at the American Customer Satisfaction Index show that AT&T took home the trophy for the best customer satisfaction rating among fiber ISPs, with 80 out of 100 points. AT&T has performed well above the industry average in the past two consecutive years. Conversely, Optimum fell far short of the industry average, and, at 66 points, it snagged a spot at the bottom of the ACSI chart.

AT&T vs. Optimum: What's the bottom line?

In reality, even though there's some crossover in the states they cover, AT&T and Optimum won't often go head-to-head for your dollars. Both providers are expanding their fiber footprints, although AT&T is growing more aggressively as the larger company. You will get a good product if your address is serviceable for either of their fiber internet offerings. Optimum's price increase after 12 months means you might get greater value in the long run from AT&T.

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