Why You Can Trust CNET AT&T Fiber 300: Priced Right, but Is It Fast Enough?
AT&T Fiber's cheapest plan is an excellent value, but larger households with numerous devices may prefer one of the provider's faster speed tiers.
AT&T Fiber's cheapest internet plan is one of the best internet deals available, offering symmetrical speeds up to 300Mbps starting at $55 a month. Your equipment rental is included in the cost, as is unlimited data. There are no contracts and no scheduled price increases after 12 months.
You can't ask for much more from an entry-level plan, but those looking for a bit more speed may find faster plans from AT&T or another top internet provider more enticing. You'll find a full breakdown of AT&T Fiber 300 below to help you decide if the plan is right for you.
AT&T Fiber 300 plan details
| Starting monthly price | Monthly price after 12 mos. | Max download speeds | Max upload speeds | Data cap | Equipment fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $55 | $55 | 300Mbps | 300Mbps | None | None |
Of the major internet providers that share service areas with AT&T, such as Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, most will have a starting price similar to or lower than AT&T Fiber 300. It's worth noting, however, that such plans rarely come with speeds up to 300Mbps. Equipment costs, data caps and contracts could further inflate the cost.
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There's also the speed and reliability of a fiber internet connection versus cable internet -- you won't get near the same upload speeds with cable internet, and speeds are more susceptible to network congestion during peak usage times.
No data caps, no contracts, no equipment fee
I've stressed the cost and speed value of the AT&T Fiber 300 plan so far, and for a good reason, but what else is there to the plan, and AT&T service, in general?
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AT&T Fiber plans come with unlimited data, meaning you don't have to monitor your monthly data usage to avoid throttled speeds or overage fees. There are also no contract requirements and no added monthly equipment fee.
So, you can expect to pay $55 per month for AT&T Fiber 300 without added costs for renting a router or going over a set data limit. That's a good deal, considering the speeds you get. Speaking of which, let's take a look at what you can do with 300Mbps.
Is 300Mbps a good speed?
Speeds of 300Mbps are more than enough to support online gaming, streaming in HD or 4K and taking Zoom calls on multiple devices simultaneously. The Federal Communications Commission recommends minimum speeds of 4Mbps for online multiplayer games, 25Mbps for streaming in 4K and 6Mbps for HD videoconferencing, all well below 300Mbps.
As for download times, it'll take roughly 10 minutes to download a full-length HD movie (assuming a file size of around 20GB) with speeds of 300Mbps. Video game downloads are a bit more challenging to gauge, as file sizes for updates and full games can vary by hundreds or thousands of megabytes. A 100MB file, which could be considered a midsize update, will take mere seconds over 300Mbps, while downloading a full game of 75GB could have you waiting 30 to 40 minutes or longer.
It's important to note that, though AT&T Fiber 300 offers speeds up to 300Mbps, it's unlikely that you'll always experience those max speeds.
Connecting to your network wirelessly over Wi-Fi will almost always result in slower speeds, and those speeds could diminish more as you move farther from the router, but a good Wi-Fi extender can improve performance throughout your home. Still, when using a Wi-Fi connection, I wouldn't be surprised by actual speeds in the 100-200Mbps range from the AT&T Fiber 300 plan.
Additionally, while speeds of 300Mbps will support numerous devices at once (10 or more depending on the activity on each), know that each connected device will consume its share of bandwidth. The more devices you connect, the slower your actual speeds will likely be on each.
Consequently, larger households with bandwidth-hungry devices like smart TVs, video game consoles, smartphones and tablets may require more speed to accommodate everyone's needs. If that's the case, and you want to stick with AT&T, consider upgrading to the AT&T Fiber 500 plan for an additional $10 per month or to AT&T Fiber 1000, which starts at $80 per month.
So is AT&T Fiber 300 fast enough?
I vote yes. According to Speedtest.net, the average tested residential download speed in the US for February 2023 was 198Mbps, so you'll potentially get speeds higher than the national average with AT&T Fiber 300. Again, actual speeds of 300Mbps are unlikely with AT&T Fiber 300, especially when using a Wi-Fi connection. Still, the plan is likely to offer plenty of speed for the average user or handful of users and most, if not all, of their devices.
AT&T Fiber 300 FAQs
Where is AT&T Fiber available?
AT&T internet service is available to more than 40% of US households, in particular throughout the South and Midwest and parts of California and Nevada. Though AT&T's service areas cover a broad portion of the US, only around 31% of AT&T's network is fiber. Even still, AT&T Fiber (and the Fiber 300 plan) is available to around 18 million people, most of whom are residents of larger metro areas or suburbs.
How much is AT&T Fiber 300?
AT&T Fiber 300 starts at $55 per month, plus taxes and fees. This price includes a $5 discount for enrolling in autopay, so be sure to do so when signing up.
Is AT&T Fiber 300 a good deal?
AT&T Fiber 300 is a better deal than you'll find from many ISPs. The speeds you get for the price are unbeatable by nearly every other entry-level plan from almost any other major provider. Aside from the speed and price, AT&T Fiber 300 comes with unlimited data and no contract requirements, not to mention the quality and reliability of a 100% fiber connection.