Is AT&T Faster than Cox?
Can I browse faster using AT&T than I could using Cox?
Another factor relevant when it comes to selecting your ISP is the speed of the services that the ISP is offering. AT&T and Cox are two big names in the market that provide broadband connection to homes across the length and breadth of the United States. However, getting to the real question, is AT&T faster regarding download and upload speeds than Cox?
The following is the list of key factors that contributed to the varied internet speeds experienced all over the world:
There are a few key factors that impact the internet speeds you’ll get from your ISP:
- The type of connection the ISP employs to reach your home may include cable, DSL, fiber optic, or fixed wireless. Fiber optic has the best internet speeds in the most general sense.
- The maximum speed in which your region has been provided by the ISP by their network facilities. And even if the delivered ISP claims to offer very high speeds, you will get nothing more than the network infrastructure of your area.
- The type of internet package you go for. ISPs provide a range of packages with Internet access at different speeds of downloads and uploads and the prices charged for these plans. The superior tiers come with the benefits of faster access speeds.
- The router you have in your home and the devices you are using for browsing. A poor router can slow down your internet connection, and that is why you need the best router for your home. Worth noting here is the fact that some devices that are not so new in the market cannot support very high wifi speeds.
AT&T Internet Speed Overview
The home internet service may be offered using a range of network technologies in various locations where AT&T operates.
- DSL – This uses phone lines and can have speeds which are between 10 and 100 Mbps depending on the distance from the network end equipment. Again cheaper AT&T internet package but comes with slower internet speeds.
- Fiber – AT&T Fiber has fiber optics that maximum data transfer speeds up to 1Gbps download and 1Gbps upload. New and unique from AT&T, the home internet plan brings the speed of fiber to your home.
- Fixed Wireless – Transmits signals through antennas placed on a tower or an edifice directly to the rooftop antenna at your home. Retails around 50 Mbps download. Available in rural areas.
Thus, the availability of the AT&T Internet connection for a particular address can be equally diverse depending on the type of Internet technology. Fiber optic is listed to have the fastest speed of transmitting data but is still confined to some areas.
Cox Internet Speed Overview
Internet service is the primary product that Cox primarily offers through the use of hybrid fiber-coaxial cable network technology. This network uses both fiber optic and coaxial cable but is mostly based on fiber optic cable.
The maximum internet download/upload speeds advertised by Cox include:
- Homework – 50 Mbps downloads / 3 Mbps uploads
- StraightUp Internet – Download speeds of 100 Mbps and Upload speeds of 10 Mbps
- Ultimate – 300Mbps downloads / 30Mbps uploads
- Gigablast – 1 Gbps download and 35 Mbps upload
Unlike AT&T, therefore, internet speeds will be fairly stable in the Cox service territory because most of the company’s users are connected through the hybrid fiber-coax network. Faster speed tiers exist universally for homes with accessible service line speeds.
Some of the most important information for comparing AT&T vs Cox internet speeds include:
When comparing AT&T and Cox head-to-head, there are a few major points:
1. The two internet services being compared are AT&T Fiber and Cox Gigablast.
With AT&T fiber optic internet at home, the provided download speeds are almost identical with the fastest Cox Gigablast service tier. Thus, AT&T Fiber and Cox Gigablast both deliver a maximum download speed of 1 Gbps and an upload speed of 35 Mbps. There is no significant difference in the speed of the two.
Speed comparison
The new one gives the impression that it cannot outrun the older one, or that the older one cannot outrun the new one.
2. For the normal speed ranges, Cox has an edge primarily because it is a well-established cable provider.
If you’re not going for those premium gigabit plans that AT&T and Cox offer for subscription, Cox has a faster set of standard internet speed offerings. Their second tier service known as “StraightUp Internet” is a 100 Mbps down – which is actually over 3 times faster than a typical cap of AT&T DSL. Cox’s basic broadband offer, known as the starter plan, is even faster than AT&T DSL.
3. Cox offers faster Internet than AT&T’s slow service even its slowest service offered by the company.
The two slowest packages in terms of internet speed range from both providers belong to the DSL (AT&T) and the Starter (Cox) categories. However, the first two tiers of AT&T’s DSL services have speeds that are still slower than Cox’s basic offer with downloads of 50 Mbps.
4. This means that AT&T has restricted fiber optic offers in the market today.
One major demerit is the fact that the internet speeds offered by AT&T Fiber are only gigabit-fast in certain metro areas or neighborhoods. Even where it provides near lightning-fast speeds where it exists many addresses are still left out. Cox has a wider reach in the areas with most of the locations being able to obtain their basic speed packages.
Which One is Right for You and Offers The Best Speeds?
When choosing between AT&T vs Cox Internet at your specific address, follow these tips:
1. Make sure that it is available at the house exactly – Since it is the only technology the company has that can match the speed provided by Cox, it must be available at the house.
2. Find out the speeds your neighbors experience – People are likely to experience more moderate speeds than the ones offered by their service provider in terms of offered speed; for instance, 1 Gbps.
3. Compare the two providers’ speed test results – This is because there are online databases that have aggregated and presented the results of speed tests done by real customers of AT&T and Cox in your locality.
4. Select minimum speed levels to address requirements – There is no need to pay for a gigabit if only downloading movies is required. Divide according to how the internet is being used such as business, social, entertainment, etc.
Overall, Cox is slightly more affordable when it comes to the internet packages they offer to their customers & AT&T Fiber is not as widespread as it is faster than Cox for those who have access to it. However, as far as fiber availability is concerned, AT&T usually offers comparatively slower internet than the cable-based offerings from Cox. As with most things, internet speed is also unpredictable depending on the block so you should check for speed at the specific address.
Ready to upgrade your internet experience? Call us now at +1 844-349-7575 to explore the best Cox Internet plans for your needs!