AT&T Internet VS WOW!

There’s plenty to think about when comparing AT&T with WOW! for broadband service. Both offer TV and phone service as well, and subscribers who combine or “bundle” services can sometimes find great deals with excellent speeds. The biggest differences come down to technical network differences and TV offerings.

AT&T Internet
Cheap Internet
SETUP SERVICE

(844) 319-1735
  • PRICE RANGE $40 to $80 / mo.
  • TECHNOLOGY DSL
  • SPEED RANGE (DOWNLOAD) 6.0 mbps to 1,000 mbps
  • SPEED RANGE (UPLOAD) 1.0 mbps to 1,000 mbps

AT&T Internet OVERVIEW

AT&T U-Verse is a bundled broadband Internet, phone, and digital TV provider. They provide connectivity via both DSL and fiber networks.

 

AT&T Internet TECHNOLOGY

AT&T offers fiber optic and hybrid DSL internet connections to many residential consumers and businesses across the US. They also offer a variety of “triple play” plans with bundled TV and home phone service.

Their DSL offering, historically known as AT&T U-verse, leverages a fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) layout where fiber optic cable terminates at a point near consumers, with the final stretch to the subscriber residence reached via telephone, ethernet, and in some rare cases coaxial cable. This hybrid fiber network has allowed AT&T to offer higher bandwidth plans than traditionally expected from DSL.

In addition to their DSL offering, AT&T also offers fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) in some areas. FTTH is considered the “gold standard” for strong, fast, and reliable home internet connection.

AT&T Internet RATINGS AND REVIEWS

Cheap Internet
Cheap Internet
41.0% recommendation rating according to 92,956 verified users.
WOW!
Cheap Internet
SETUP SERVICE

(888) 317-7540
  • PRICE RANGE $29.99 to $59.99 / mo.
  • TECHNOLOGY Cable
  • SPEED RANGE (DOWNLOAD) 10 mbps to 1,000 mbps
  • SPEED RANGE (UPLOAD) 1.0 mbps to 50 mbps

WOW! OVERVIEW

WOW! is a bundled cable TV, broadband Internet, and phone provider. The name “WOW!” stands for “Wide Open West.” The company also offers fiber Internet connectivity in select areas.

WOW! TECHNOLOGY

WOW! offers a variety of broadband connection types, including cable, DSL, fixed wireless, and fiber, often bundled with cable television and phone offerings. As of 2016, their fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is available in select areas and scheduled to expand based on consumer demand.

Cable broadband, WOW!’s most prevalent option, is usually delivered via hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks. In this type of network, most of the distance between the provider and consumer is covered by high-speed fiber optic cables. Once it reaches a neighborhood, the fiber terminates at a node where data is switched from optic signal to electrical signal for transmission over existing coaxial copper television networks.

While pure fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections are the “gold standard” of next-generation broadband technologies — delivering speeds up to 1Gbps in ideal scenarios — WOW! is working to deploy DOCSIS 3.1 to their HFC networks. This advanced protocol, an improvement on the current DOCSIS protocols used to transmit binary data over coaxial cables, will allow some HFC networks to achieve gigabit speeds rivaling FTTH offerings.

WOW! RATINGS AND REVIEWS

Cheap Internet
Business Internet
55.3% recommendation rating according to 7,483 verified users.
Business Internet
CUT THE CORD, OR STAY CONNECTED?

Streaming video content vs paying for TV service

AT&T and WOW! both offer TV in addition to Internet and phone service — but the similarities end there. Channels on offer vary from place to place, particularly when it comes to local channels. AT&T often offers TV via a satellite dish separate from your DSL Internet connection, which has pros and cons depending on your area. WOW! generally uses the same coaxial cable that brings your Internet data to provide cable TV.

Data caps are increasingly a concern in some areas. Consumers should double check that they won’t go over their download limit if they “cut the cord” and rely on over-the-top streaming services like Hulu to deliver their video entertainment. Even with caps as high as a terabyte, high-quality video has been creating bigger and bigger file sizes every year, making those data caps look much more restrictive in the long term.

UNDERSTANDING FEES AND “EXTRAS”

The fine print isn’t always pretty

The good news: bundling Internet, phone, and TV services from the same provider usually results in a lower overall monthly cost. The bad news: ETFs (early termination fees) and long contract lengths can make the final cost of your broadband service much higher than it looks when you sign up.

To stay safe, always shop with the final monthly cost in mind, no matter how attractive the sign-up bonuses offered are. Students, young professionals, and others who frequently relocate should be especially mindful of what they’ll have to pay to break a contract.

Also be wary of additional fees on your bill, and don’t be shy to call your provider and request explanations for fees you don’t understand. Even a couple extra dollars a month can add up over the years, which is too bad if it’s a fee you can remove with a simple phone call

Business Internet
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