The short answer is yes. AT&T offers a variety of unlimited data plans with fast speeds, great coverage, and high data caps. Plus, AT&T is currently rolling out a robust 5G network. The biggest downsides are high prices and throttled streaming quality. Strap on your scuba gear because we’re going to do a deep dive of everything AT&T: plans, performance, bundling deals, customer service, and more. But first, let’s go over a few basics.
Data: Get a plan with enough 4G LTE/5G data to support your streaming, gaming, and working needs. The last thing you need is to run dry mid-month. Price: The cheapest plan isn’t necessarily the best value for your money (it usually isn’t). Compare prices to be sure you’re getting the right mix of performance and cost savings. Coverage: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all have darn good 4G LTE coverage in most cities and suburbs. But rural coverage and emerging 5G networks are all over the place. Check coverage maps to get on the best network in your area. Features: Don’t take special features—like HD streaming and hotspot data—for granted. Read the fine print on your plan to make sure it has what you need.
Pretty much every cell phone plan has data caps or something called data deprioritization. Basically, this means that after you use a certain amount of high-speed data, your speeds will be reduced (especially when the network is congested). If you use your phone to game, post, stream, or work, then you want a plan with a high data cap. AT&T’s Unlimited Extra and Unlimited Premium plans fit the bill. Unlimited Extra gives you a 50 GB data cap while Unlimited Premium promises unlimited high-speed data no matter how much you use, making these plans among the best in the industry. But this nationwide 5G network is actually “low-band” 5G, which is just a fancy way of saying it’s fast, but not that fast. Speeds on this 5G network are just a little bit faster than normal 4G. AT&T does have another form of 5G which uses millimeter wave technology. This 5G can go very fast, like faster than your home internet connection (think 100+ Mbps). AT&T calls it 5G Plus, and it’s only available in select parts of 45 cities. . . for now. But for folks living in more populated areas, you can expect solid coverage. AT&T users report having reliable 4G coverage 88.9% of the time with AT&T—a solid B+.1 As someone who’s been on AT&T for years, I can say that its coverage is pretty awesome, even when I’m driving between sleepy desert towns in Utah and California. As long as you see some heavy purple around your region on the map above, your AT&T coverage should feel reliable.
6 months free Stadia Pro Pass with any plan Free HBO Max subscription with Unlimited Premium plan Early phone upgrades with AT&T Up Next Free movie tickets, presale access to big events, and other little bonuses with AT&T Thanks
Also, if you’re a first responder, active military, nurse, doctor, or teacher, you can get a steep discount on an unlimited data plan. Check it out: Let’s compare AT&T with the competition to prove its overly priced nature. Here’s a chart where we compare AT&T with other major providers’ unlimited data plans. But AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan is another story. This plan is always subject to deprioritization. That means AT&T can slow down your data whenever it darn well pleases. (The other two major providers, T-Mobile and Verizon, have done the same thing with their cheapest unlimited plans—gross.) For a $65 plan, this is a bit ridiculous. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t go for a $40 plan from a company like Visible if your data will be deprioritized either way. Take a look at my data usage for the month. I would consider myself to be mildly obsessed with my phone, and I’ve used over 100 GB. For example, if you got four separate lines on the Unlimited Extra Plan, it would cost you $300! But if you bungle those lines together in a family plan, it’s just $160. Yes, a family plan cuts your bill almost in half! Seriously, these family plans offer all of the same benefits of individual plans—they just cost less. I know this because I’ve been on an AT&T family plan for years (I promise to Venmo you my share of the bill soon, Dad!). Going with an AT&T family plan will save you more money per plan than opting for an individual data plan. Honestly, if you want to use AT&T as your service provider, you’ll get the most value by hopping on a family plan. The only real advantages to AT&T prepaid plans is that you have a wider variety of plans and prices to choose from, especially if you don’t want a standard unlimited data plan. If one of the above plans looks perfect for you, go for it! That said, if you’re going the prepaid route, AT&T probably isn’t the best carrier. Our favorite prepaid plans offer better prices, data caps, and options than what you see here–AT&T didn’t quite make the cut. AT&T probably has what you’re looking for, whether you want the sheer power of a Samsung Galaxy, the seamless design of an iPhone, or the no-nonsense option of a Google Pixel. This chart shows some of the most popular phone deals that the company is offering right now.
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We’d like to point out that AT&T (like all the major wireless providers) doesn’t rank well with customers.2 It’s them, not you—we swear. Like any relationship, you’ll be happiest with AT&T when you have clear communication. We see most problems arising due to lack of clarity in the bill, so make sure you know what you’re getting into and all will be good. But others may find that the company’s high prices aren’t worth it for a few extra GB of data, especially since T-Mobile and Verizon offer powerful alternatives. Here’s a quick recap of the plans, coverage, and performance to help you make up your mind.
Plans: AT&T’s Unlimited Starter plan offers little and costs a lot. But the Unlimited Extra and Premium plans have high data caps (100 GB to unlimited GB), fast speeds, and some decent perks. You can save money on all these plans by bundling in a family plan. Coverage: AT&T’s 4G LTE coverage is pretty darn good across the continent of North America. It’s download speeds are not the fastest, but they’ll do the trick. AT&T’s 5G and 5G+ networks aren’t the biggest or fastest in the country, but they’re coming along. Overall: When it comes to the big three—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon—AT&T stands out for its high or lack of data caps and good coverage. But T-Mobile still has faster data speeds and Verizon has better overall coverage.
If you’re excited to get a great family plan deal and unlimited high-speed data, then you can sign up for AT&T online. If you’re still not sure, then you might want to consider these other great cell phone plans. Overall, we’ve spent dozens of hours researching, writing, and updating this AT&T Wireless review so that it reflects the latest information available. Our recommendations are based on a holistic view of the carrier, the competition, and the industry as a whole. Please leave a comment below if you have tips on how we can improve our reviews to better meet your needs!
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You can learn more about all of the options in our article How to Pay Your AT&T Bill.
