Do you live in - or are you moving to - an area that offers both AT&T U-Verse and Comcast XFINITY?
Or perhaps you are considering dropping your current internet provider in favor of either one of these? Then you've come to the right place. It can be tricky to decide on the right internet company - both offer high speeds, plus the option of some combination of services, giving you discounts for bundling your internet with things like cable TV and wireless home phone service.
What's the best choice in the end? Only you can choose, but I'm going to give you the scoop on AT&T U-Verse vs Comcast XFINITY to help you make an informed decision about which of these internet service providers is right for you.
In This Guide
AT&T U-Verse vs Comcast XFINITY Comparison
| Data Points | Comcast XFINITY | AT&T U-Verse |
|---|---|---|
| Fastest Speed Available | Up to 150 Mbps | Up to 1000 Mbps |
| ACSI Customer Service Rating (2016) | 59/99 | 64/100 |
| Connection Type | Cable | Cable |
AT&T U-Verse Overview
AT&T U-Verse internet offers quite a few packages that include FastAccess DSL and Fiber Internet. Unfortunately, the options can be very limited depending on the area. For instance, some speeds are limited to Lansing, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana, while other services, like fiber optic internet connection, is limited to select cities and businesses.
However, you might be lucky enough to live in an area that is covered by up to 940 Mbps download and upload speeds. Fortunately, U-Verse covers 21 states, with its fiber optic service now being implemented in many areas.
When it comes to U-Verse customer service, the 2016 American Customer Satisfaction Index reports a score of 64 points, which is the industry average. So while this provider's customer service is not the best, it's certainly not the worst either.
What you should know: U-Verse does impose data limits on your internet connection. As of August 21, 2016, AT&T increased the data caps to the following:
- 150 GB a month for DSL customers
- 1 TB a month for download speeds up to and including 768 Kbps through 300 Mbps
Here's the good news: you can avoid data caps entirely if you take advantage of the Unlimited Internet Data Usage option. You are eligible for this option if you bundle together AT&T's internet and TV services, purchase the "Internet 1000" speed tier, or flat-out buy the unlimited data usage option for $30 more a month.
AT&T U-Verse offers more HD channels compared to Comcast and has solid internet tiers at reasonable fees. If you need more information regarding AT&T U-Verse TV, you can always refer to either our AT&T U-Verse TV Packages or Channel Lineup guides.
Is AT&T U-Verse Right For You?
You should consider AT&T U-Verse if you:
- Are a typical internet user
- Enjoy a vast array of selections
- Want plenty of HD channels
- Need hotspots on the go
Coverage Map
AT&T's U-Verse services 21 states.
Comcast XFINITY Overview
Comcast's XFINITY service is considered to be the largest in the nation, but despite its coverage, Comcast customer service has one of the worst reputations in the industry.
That being said, XFINITY does offer some reasonably speedy packages, with one of the tiers being the fastest available in the United States: 2000 Mbps (2 Gigabit). With a monthly rate of $299.95, 2 Gigabit internet is a tier used primarily by businesses.
Similar to AT&T U-Verse, XFINITY's internet plans also have a data cap. Recently, XFINITY has allowed customers to use up to 1 TB of data every month, adding 50 GB increments at $10 each once the data cap has been reached.
However, you will only be charged a maximum of $200 extra, no matter how much data is used by the end of the month. As the cherry on top, the service allows customers to take advantage of two "courtesy months," where they can exceed the data cap without being charged.
As far as customer service, many customers rate XFINITY as one of the poorest in the nation, with complaints leaning toward terrible products, price hikes, and abysmal service. Overall, Comcast customer service earned an ACSI score of 59, which is just 5 points lower than U-Verse's customer service index score.
Admittedly, XFINITY and U-Verse are at neck-and-neck when it comes to prices and speeds. If you need information regarding Comcast XFINITY's cable services, you can always look into our Comcast XFINITY Channel Lineup or Comcast Cable Packages guides.
These guides give you the details on products like the Triple Play bundle, which includes cable TV, high-speed internet, and XFINITY Voice home phone.
Is Comcast XFINITY Right For You?
You should consider Comcast XFINITY if you:
- Are in love with DVR, as XFINITY offers the X1 TV Box, which allows you to pause and rewind live television
- Can't live without cable television and won't consider cord-cutting
- Desire insane internet speeds of up to 2000 Mbps
Coverage Map
Plans & Pricing
XFINITY Internet
Comcast service may not be the darling of the industry and the prices may be on the high side for slow upload speeds and download speeds, but the value greatly increases as you move into the high-speed internet tiers.
The lower speeds are rather expensive until the 200 Mbps tier, which is priced at $82.95. That being said, there are no options between the 200 Mbps and 2000 Mbps tiers, which is available at $299.95. While the 2000 Mbps option is double the speed you'd receive from AT&T's U-Verse 1000 Internet tier, it is also three times the price.
Pro Tip: Gigabit speeds (1000 - 2000 Mbps) are delivered through a fiber optic internet connection. In order to actually reach the full potential of this kind of internet bandwidth, you need a gigabit-capable router and compatible Ethernet cable. A wireless connection (via a wireless router) cannot deliver internet bandwidth at gigabit speeds.
Unlike with a wireless connection, Ethernet cable connects your computer directly to the router. If you do subscribe to gigabit internet, you certainly won't have slow upload speeds and download speeds via a wireless router, they just won't be as high as you're paying for.
U-Verse Internet
How does AT&T's U-Verse internet compare to Comcast XFINITY's internet products?
The consumer-based package prices are competitive with Comcast XFINITY, but unlike XFINITY, it doesn't offer a 2000 Mbps Internet tier option. That being said, the prices of the fiber options are exceptional, with the 100GB tier being $10 cheaper than the non-fiber, 75 GB option, and the 300 GB selection being the same price as the 75 GB tier. What's also amazing is that the "1000 Internet" speed tier is only $80 a month; in other words, highly affordable for a streamer or gamer.
Customer Satisfaction
Pricing and value are important factors when deciding upon an internet service provider, but so is customer satisfaction.
If you refer to the statistics at the beginning of the comparison, you'll notice that AT&T U-Verse has lower maximum internet speeds, but 1000 Mbps at $80 is absolutely desirable. The average internet consumer wouldn't even take advantage of 1000 Mbps. According to content delivery network Akamai's Q1 2016 "State of the Internet" report, the U.S. boasts an average connection speed of 15.3 Mbps. What about average peak connection speeds? 67.8 Mbps.
That being said, consumers from both service providers are getting more than what they are paying for, according to the advertised speed vs. actual speed numbers. What's also important to note is that the ACSI score is higher for AT&T U-Verse, though not much higher than the XFINITY ACSI score.
Which Is Better?
There you have it: the battle between AT&T U-Verse vs Comcast XFINITY. Both offer speedy internet tiers at a decent price, similar internet data caps, and solid bundles. That being said, AT&T U-Verse edges Comcast out due to the HD offerings and better customer service.
So unless you must have 2000 Mbps download speeds, I would highly recommend turning your attention to U-Verse.
Time Warner Cable is one of AT&T's fiercest competitors. To see how the two stack up, check out our comparative guide on AT&T vs Time Warner Cable. You can also compare Comcast vs Verizon FiOS TV.
For more useful tips and information, check out our Internet Provider Guides page for everything we have to offer.
