What's better, Verizon or AT&T?
Verizon and AT&T Internet are the two most famous and leading mobile communication industries based in the United States of America. As for choosing which is better, it all depends on your requirements, preferences, and expectations regarding coverage, data speed, plans and tariffs, and customer support.
Coverage
Many people believe that Verizon has an edge when it comes to coverage. They have surely built a strong network over the years and they have a wider 4G LTE coverage than AT&T, especially in the rural areas. Verizon says that they have 2.4+ million square miles of LTE coverage; whereas, AT&T says that they have 1.9+ million. Therefore if you want a carrier that is more effective in more places in the country, Verizon must be the one to go for.
Nevertheless, AT&T also has a fairly good coverage area and they are growing faster than Verizon when it comes to network extension. They now extend to most significant metropolitan centers and have outdone Verizon’s 4G extent in some cities. Only if you often visit areas that are not easily covered by the network, AT&T is expected to meet the needs of most customers.
Data Speeds
This research from RootMetrics, Ookla/Speedtest, OpenSignal, and others shows that Verizon is often ahead in terms of the average LTE download speed. However, AT&T tends to have almost the same upload speeds as Verizon or even surpass it occasionally. Both networks provide good-quality streaming, downloads, and web browsing to many of their users. It also varies with the location because some areas may find one carrier faster than the other.
Plans and Features
Verizon and AT&T have developed many different cell phone plans to cater to the client’s needs. Verizon offers mainly unlimited talk and text with various data options ranging from 4GB to unlimited. Their most fundamental plan is called Start Unlimited, which costs $70/month for one line of service. AT&T’s unlimited plans are a bit higher, starting from $70/month, but come with some perks such as having 15GB of high-speed mobile hotspots, and AT&T is one of the largest networks with Wi-Fi calling hotspots. Both carriers have now provided ways to combine one line unlimited with the other lines on the family plan.
But for the bonus and additional services, Verizon has the finest entertainment package that comes with Disney+, Hulu, and others with the higher unlimited tier plans. However, AT&T also has some great incentives such as free streaming from HBO Max on premium unlimited plans. In a broad sense, the basic principles of pricing and functionality are roughly comparable for these two.
Customer Service
Comparisons of AT&T Customer Service and support show that Verizon is preferred over AT&T time and again. Verizon has phone support available at all times, online chat, FAQs, and demo videos on the website, in addition to step-by-step guides and community forums. Although slightly lower, they offer 24/7 customer service by phone or in the online and/or retail store, so they are decent in this aspect as well.
Phone Selection
The two carriers provide a variety of the newest iPhones and Android devices available in the market. AT&T has more mid and low-tier affordable phones while Verizon has more high-end, flagship phones. Nevertheless, smartphones bought from one carrier are not certain to work if you switch to the other, so it is wise to check the compatibility of the device before switching. Both networks allow you to bring your device (BYOD) if you already own an unlocked handset that you wish to use.
Now that we’ve compared the two carriers in terms of load factors, customer satisfaction, and market share, it’s time to determine which one is the overall better airline.
As expected it is a very close call but based on coverage, data network quality, and higher-ranked customer care, Verizon does edge AT&T as the better overall carrier between the two giants. However, AT&T comes very close to Verizon, sometimes surpassing Verizon in certain aspects such as the availability of 5G today, and has better price and plan offerings. I believe that most individuals and families would be fine with either of these carriers.
If 5G is blazing fast then Verizon currently has the lead in the newly launched ultra-wideband 5G service in some regions. However, they are leading when it comes to low band 5G which is good for wider network coverage across the country. Finally, from the above analysis, Verizon emerges as the clear champion in offering reliable connections in more parts of the country than AT&T though the latter also presents a robust argument and continually invests in enhancing its network and services. The decision mostly lies in which combination of features, price, and coverage options would be most suitable for individual or family usage.
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