AT&T vs. Sparklight: Which Internet Provider Is Best for You?

Compare AT&T and Sparklight head to head

If you’re trying to decide between AT&T and Sparklight, your first step should be to find out what plans are in your area because the deal changes dramatically based on where you live (psst… use the zip search below). In short, AT&T is the better choice unless you have access to Sparklight’s Freedom Connect plans, where you’ll find more speed for your money.

Pros and cons: AT&T vs. Sparklight

In this comparison:

Plans and pricing | Extra fees | Customer ratings | Bundles | Internet types | Data caps | Contracts | Installation | Availability

In this comparison:

• Plans and pricing
• Extra fees
• Customer ratings
• Bundles
• Internet types
• Data caps
• Contracts
• Installation
• Availability

Plans and pricing: AT&T vs. Sparklight

AT&T plans and pricing

AT&T’s plans are easier to understand with uniform pricing and perks, regardless of your location. All plans may not be available in all areas, but the speeds, prices, and data caps stay consistent wherever the plans are offered.

Most AT&T plans are a good value, packing good speeds for your dollar. Plus, all plans come with unlimited data, with the AT&T fixed wireless plan being the only exception. You also have to factor in that most AT&T plans provide fiber internet, which is better than cable in just about every way. The downside is that fiber availability is still rather limited.

Sparklight plans and pricing

Sparklight’s new Freedom Connect internet plans are an awesome deal: They come with a ton of speed and unlimited data. However, prices go up after three months for some plans, and then again at the 12-month mark.

Sparklights Freedom Connect 600 plan gives you 600Mbps and unlimited data for just $54.95 per month; that’s more speed for the money than anything offered by AT&T. But after a year, you’ll have to pay $70 per month. In that case, you’d be better off with AT&T, where $15 less per month will buy you 1000Mbps of symmetrical speed.

Deals and promotions: AT&T vs. Sparklight

Extra fees: AT&T vs. Sparklight

The biggest potential fee is AT&T’s $99 professional installation, but it’s often waived, especially for new customers.

In the long run, it’s the equipment rental fees you have to look out for. AT&T has you covered with a free rental internet gateway (modem/router combo). But to avoid Sparklights equipment charges, you need to buy your own equipment.

Customer ratings: AT&T vs. Sparklight

In most areas, these two providers are neck and neck with customer feedback, but AT&T dominates when it comes to price satisfaction. The data from our annual customer satisfaction survey says AT&T customers are much happier with their internet bill. This doesn’t mean that AT&T customers pay less, but it does suggest they feel they’re getting more for their money.

Best TV and internet bundles

AT&T partners with DirectTV for its TV+internet bundles, meaning you get satellite TV service. You can stream DIRECTV to any TV without a satellite dish. You can also get traditional satellite TV service if you can’t get high-speed internet. Sparklight’s TV is more of a standard cable affair, so it’s likely to be the more reliable of the two, but it’s also more expensive.

Internet types: AT&T vs. Sparklight

AT&T offers fiber and fixed-wireless internet (including 5G internet) while Sparklight uses much more common cable internet. Fiber is the best kind of internet connection you can get. It’s the fastest and most reliable, but availability is limited.

Fixed-wireless is the least capable of the three but receives the best customer feedback, likely due to its convenience.

Cable internet is the broadband workhorse of the nation, getting more people online than any other internet type. It’s not as good as a fiber internet connection, but the real-world difference is often unnoticeable.

Data caps: AT&T vs. Sparklight

AT&T offers unlimited data for all it’s plans except AT&T fixed-wireless, which comes with a tiny data cap.

Sparklight plans come with unlimited data, but speeds slow down after 5TB. That’s far more data than most households need, though, so it’s nothing to worry about.

Contracts: AT&T vs. Sparklight

Both AT&T and Sparklight offer month-to-month contracts. You can cancel anytime without penalties.

Installation: AT&T vs. Sparklight

AT&T’s $99 professional install is concerning at first, but don’t let it scare you off as the fee is often waived. Sparklight’s $30 activation fee is definitely on the cheap side compared to other ISPs, and you can whittle it down even further by opting for self-installation.

Availability: AT&T vs. Sparklight

AT&T and Sparklight share a strong presence in the South and Midwest. The outliers are California, where AT&T has huge fiber coverage areas in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Sacramento, and Idaho, where there’s lots of Sparklight but no AT&T.

Final call: AT&T vs. Sparklight

We think AT&T’s fiber plans offer the most value overall: The prices, speeds, unlimited data, and perks of a fiber internet connection are tough to beat. You might be able to get cheaper service for the first year with Sparklight, though. Just don’t forget to add equipment costs to the total price! Your first step should be to enter your zip code above to see what plans are in your area.

Methodology

Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.

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