In all too many places, your internet choices consist of one cable internet provider or one DSL provider. If you’re lucky, you may get fiber as a choice too. Then, there’s Atlanta. Here in most of the metro area, you actually have real choices! No! Really!
Before jumping into this comparison you should keep in mind that, just like everywhere else, the advertised prices are not the same as what you’ll pay. The “list” price doesn’t include taxes or fees. The prices will also vary wildly depending on what deal you get. Many ISPs offer cheaper packages that also offer you cable TV, landline, or 4G/5G phone services. These bundles are normally only for one or two years and require you to sign a contract.
Finally, before talking specifics, always check to see if there’s a data cap. Today, thanks to work and school from home, video-conferencing, and 4K video streaming, many of us use more broadband than we ever had before. One TeraByte (TB) of data per month is indeed a lot, but it may be less than what you need in 2021.
The Fastest home internet in Hotlanta
Starting with the fastest, Google Fiber actually offers, dare I say it, 2 Gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds!
The prices for the speed are hard to beat too:
- Atlanta Google Fiber’s 1Gbps plan costs $70 a month, plus taxes and fees
- Atlanta Google Fiber’s 2Gbps plan starts at $100 per month, plus taxes and fees
You can also add home phone service for an additional $10 a month.
View Now at Google Fiber
AT&T no longer offers DSL, but Fiber is much faster
AT&T also offers 1Gbps fiber in the Atlanta metro area. AT&T prices vary wildly, like most ISPs’ prices do, depending on the contract length and what other services — AT&T TV (Formerly AT&T TV Now and DirecTV Now) you bundle with it.
Generally speaking:
- 300Mbps is $35 a month
- 500Mbps is $45 a month
- 940Mbps is $60 a month
To these, you can tack on additional taxes and equipment fees.
You may sometimes see sites claiming that AT&T still offers DSL internet. That’s no longer the case. Beginning on October 1st, 2020, AT&T stopped offering DSL. Some existing DSL accounts are still being supported. But, AT&T will no longer offer it as a new service.
View Now at AT&T
Fast internet for apartment buildings, townhouse complexes, and businesses
Unlike the other ISPs, you may not have heard of Yomura Fiber. They’re a new fiber company that sells mostly to businesses and apartment buildings. In Atlanta, they’re available downtown and are coming to Avondale Estates, Decatur, and Buckhead. They’re also deploying point-to-point wireless internet, Yomura Air, in the Atlanta area.
Yomura gigabit fiber costs $99 a month.
Businesses may also want to talk to them about their 10Gbps service, which runs $999 a month.
View Now at Yomura
Small ISP, big bandwidth
Atlanta-based Gigamonster is another small ISP that delivers big bandwidth. Instead of a pure fiber to your doorstep approach, Gigamon delivers fiber to the building or neighborhood and then uses cable for the last few feet.
With this “Scary Fast internet” service, you still get up to 1Gbps speeds. Gigamonster prices, because its services come via apartment building owners and townhouse communities, vary. They are usually comparable to the otherGbps ISP prices.
View Now at Gigamonster
This cable ISP promises up to 1.2Gbps speeds
Xfinity from Comcast offers cable internet with speeds of up to 1.2Gbps. Its prices vary depending on your speed, you can go as slow as 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) for $46 a month with autopay and e-billing.
On the high side, 1.2Gbps, if available, will run you $106 a month if you agreed to autopay and e-billing. As usual, package deals may reduce your internet costs.
View Now at Xfinity from Comcast
Solid internet cable service
Charter/Spectrum also provides cable internet to greater Atlanta.
Speeds and prices are:
- 200Mbps starting at $50
- 940Mbps for $110
I use, and like, the top-end of this service myself to the north of Atlanta in Asheville, NC.
View Now at Charter-Spectrum
Take what I’ve told you here as a starting point. It’s a pain, but you really need to check out the available plans and take a long, hard look at hidden fees and data caps. All of these change at the drop of a Braves fly ball.
Then, and only then, you will be able to make a smart internet decision. But, look at it this way, at least in Atlanta most of you actually will have choices to make.
In most places, you’ve got no real choice at all.
Source: Networking - zdnet.com
