If you're looking for faster home internet, AT&T is starting to offer 2-Gigabit and 5-Gigabit broadband to eligible customers on the company’s fiber network.
The new speed tiers are rolling out to nearly 5.2 million customer locations in over 70 metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, and New Orleans.
However, the new speeds aren’t cheap. The 2-Gigabit service costs $110 per month, while the 5-Gigabit plan is going for $180. Interested customers can go to AT&T’s website to find out if they’re eligible.
In some bad news, AT&T is also raising prices for its 1-Gigabit and under home internet plans for new customers.
- The 1-Gigabit plan now costs $80 per month, up from $60.
- The 500Mbps service is increasing to $65, up from $45.
- The 300Mbps plan now goes for $55 per month when it previously cost $35.
When asked about the price hikes, AT&T told us the increases cover the $10-a-month equipment fee, which the company is implying wasn't factored into the original pricing structure.
"While the day-one price may look higher, new customers will have no equipment fees, no annual contract and will not see a price increase at 12 months," the company said. "We heard from our customers that transparent, simple pricing was something they valued in an internet provider. So we’re giving our customers just that.
"Existing customers will not see a change in their price," the company added. Customers on the Gigabit internet plans will also receive HBO Max as a free perk.
AT&T’s goal is to eventually expand the 2-Gigabit and 5-Gigabit speed tiers to cover 30 million customer locations by 2025. This could help it become the fastest internet service provider in the US, an honor that Verizon’s fiber-to-the-home Fios currently holds, according to our tests.
AT&T adds that it recently achieved 10-Gigabit broadband speeds in the company’s labs. So expect further speed upgrades in the future.