AT&T vs. Cox Communications: Which Provider Can Handle Your Internet Needs?

Sarah Tew/CNET

AT&T vs. Cox: Which is the better provider for your home?

AT&T and Cox have different availabilities across the country, both are concentrated in cities across the South, Midwest and in southern California, putting them in direct competition with each other. So which provider should you choose?

It depends. AT&T's fiber plans are some of the best deals you'll find on home internet -- and AT&T Fiber tied with Verizon Fios for CNET's best internet provider of 2024 -- but those fiber plans have limited availability, and AT&T's alternatives are much slower. Meanwhile, Cox's cable plans offer plenty of speed of their own, shooting up to gigabit speeds across Cox's entire coverage map -- but there's fine print to watch out for concerning Cox's data caps and promotional prices.

Read on for an in-depth examination of how these internet providers measure up to each other, including a close comparison of each provider's plans, prices, terms, availability and customer service track record.

Our take - AT&T's internet service is available in 22 states and to nearly 21 million households nationwide. If you can get AT&T Fiber, you're on solid ground. Its multi-gig options are available to over 7 million customers -- it provides excellent value and ranks high on customer satisfaction surveys. AT&T's DSL internet service is no longer available to new customers, so if you can't get fiber at your address, you'll likely have a fixed wireless option (AT&T's basic plan starts at $70 monthly) or AT&T Internet Air, a 5G internet solution that AT&T recently rolled out. It's a good alternative, especially when you're limited to DSL or satellite internet, but overall, speeds range from 75 to 225Mbps. For context, AT&T Fiber starts at 300Mbps and only goes up from there.

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Our take - Cox Communications can boast that it's the "largest private telecom provider in the country," but that doesn't necessarily make it the best. Cox offers cable internet options and features gigabit speeds across its entire 19-state footprint (something AT&T can't claim), but there are data caps and some looming price increases down the road that should make customers wary.

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Or call to learn more: (844) 452-7615

AT&T vs. Cox: Availability and coverage areas

The FCC broadband map displays Cox (purple) and AT&T's (red) overlapping coverage.

FCC

AT&T is the clear winner here thanks to its extensive network of DSL connections and its fixed wireless service, both of which reach a fair number of rural areas. Others across the service map, which covers 22 states in the South, West and Midwest will find access to AT&T's much faster fiber plans. Those fiber plans are only available across roughly 12% of the provider's footprint, according to the latest data from the FCC. AT&T wouldn't share more recent coverage specifics than that, but a company spokesperson tells us that the number continues to increase.

As for Cox, the company sells the same cable internet plans wherever it offers service. Coverage is much more focused than AT&T and mostly limited to urban and urban-adjacent areas scattered across 19 states. Among other areas, coverage between the two providers overlaps in the following cities:

• Fayetteville, Arkansas
• Irvine, California
• San Diego, California
• Gainesville, Florida
• Macon, Georgia
• Topeka, Kansas
• Wichita, Kansas
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Tulsa, Oklahoma

AT&T vs. Cox: Plans, speeds and monthly costs

What do AT&T and Cox charge for home internet service, and how do their selection of speeds and plans stack up? Let's take a look, starting with AT&T:

AT&T home internet plans

With AT&T, your monthly rate will range from $55 to $245 per month, depending on your plan and, in some cases, whether you're in your first year of service (when some plans come with a discount). Also, keep in mind that if you're in a market where AT&T Fiber is available, you'll have access to the company's fastest plans and best rates, including new multigigabit offerings. 

OK, one down -- now let's take a look at what Cox offers:

Cox home internet plans

Cox plans range in price from $30 per month to as high as $110 per month, depending on the specific plan and whether or not you're still in your first-year promo period. The monthly equipment rental fee of $15 is an additional charge, which you don't face with AT&T, but Cox lets you skip it by using your own equipment, which is an option that can potentially save you money over the long run. Even better, Cox is currently offering new customers equipment at no extra charge for the first two years of their internet service.

Just be sure to note the higher-than-average price jumps with Cox. Although Cox recently did away with contracts and promises at least a two-year price lock for most plans, your bill will increase by as much as $30 to $40 after your second year of service. That's on par with cable internet giant, Xfinity, which enforces price increases by as much as $40 in some cases.

AT&T vs. Cox: Which is a better home internet value?

AT&T's fiber plans offer some of the best value on home internet from any provider we've evaluated. For instance, AT&T's 300Mbps fiber plan costs just $55 per month, which is just over 18 cents per Mbps. At first glance, Cox's option for 250Mbps for $50 a month seems the better deal, but the cost per Mbps of that tier comes to an even 20 cents per Mbps -- and that's only if you're able to skip the equipment rental fee. After two years, you'll have to factor in the cost of equipment, and you're looking at 26 cents per Mbps. AT&T's other fiber speed tiers offer even better value relative to the competition.

If AT&T doesn't offer fiber plans in your area, you'll have to settle for the company's fixed wireless service or 5G internet service. Assuming the average speed for AT&T Internet Air sits at around 100Mbps, your cost per Mbps comes out to 60 cents -- not a very cost-efficient plan. In that case, the 250Mbps Cox plan I mentioned above would be the better value, with faster speeds for a lower price per Mbps.

AT&T Fiber is the best deal here by far, but Cox's cable internet offers slightly better value than AT&T's fixed wireless despite costing a bit more.

AT&T vs. Cox: Fees and terms to expect

In terms of fees and the fine print on your monthly bill, AT&T offers slightly better clarity than Cox on a few service terms. Let's get into it.

Installation fees

Both providers charge a one-time fee of $100 for professional installation, although AT&T often waives that charge for fiber or 5G internet customers. Cox lets you skip that fee by requesting an Easy Connect self-installation kit, which guides you through the setup process without needing a technician.

AT&T no longer charges an additional fee to rent its modem/router gateway device. 

AT&T

Equipment fees

As mentioned before, Cox charges an equipment rental fee -- $15 per month for its Panoramic Wifi gateway. Cox lets you skip the fee by using your own Cox-approved modem, but over at AT&T, the company's gateway device is included in the monthly price.

Both providers offer optional range extenders that you can pair with the gateway to expand the range of your network. With AT&T, each one costs $10, but with Cox, they cost $130. Given that you'll also be paying $15 per month for the gateway, opting for a mesh router of your own is a much better way to go.

Something else to keep in mind about Cox's Panoramic WiFi gateway is that it will broadcast a second network separate from yours that other Cox customers can connect to as part of the company's network of public hotspots. The feature is enabled by default.

Cox says that it won't affect your home's internet speeds or data usage, but I still wouldn't blame you if you wanted to turn that network off. You'll need to log in to your Cox account and head to the privacy settings to do so.

Does AT&T or Cox require contracts for a good price?

The short answer is no, neither AT&T nor Cox require a contract for you to enjoy a promotional price or quick speeds. Cox recently veered away from contracts, opting instead for a 24-month "term agreement" to maintain a promotional price. The term agreement offers a price lock on the rate you initially signed up for but you'll have to pay an early termination fee if you cancel service before the term is up. The charge is a hefty $240, but Cox will subtract $10 for every month completed during your term of service. Customers moving to a location outside of Cox service and customers with a Lifeline discount don't have to pay that termination fee.

Data caps compared between AT&T and Cox

Both providers enforce them, but with a couple of key differences.

AT&T's fiber and 5G plans don't have data caps, but the LTE fixed wireless plans do. Specifically, the cap is set at 350GB per month for the fixed wireless plan or 1.5TB (1,500GB). If you use more than that, you'll be charged an extra $10 for each 50GB of excess, up to a maximum monthly penalty of $100.

Cox, meanwhile, enforces a data cap on all of its plans, including the multi-gig plans, and the penalties are the same as AT&T: $10 for every 50GB of excess data usage, up to a maximum of $100. Cox sets its data cap at 1.25TB (1,280GB), but the company will waive all your penalties the first month you go over that cap. That makes Cox's caps a bit more manageable than AT&T's -- and it also means that Cox's unlimited data bundles, which remove the cap for a semi-inflated additional fee that includes other services at full price, probably aren't worth it for most customers.

AT&T vs. Cox on customer satisfaction

American Customer Satisfaction Index

American Customer Satisfaction Index

Internet providers have never been popular, but AT&T is a consistent winner in the category of customer satisfaction. According to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index, AT&T Fiber ranked at the top of internet providers in both fiber and non-fiber categories with 80 out of 100. Meanwhile, in the non-fiber category, Cox came in with a slightly below-average score of 68, although this was four points better than last year. Notably, even AT&T's non-fiber plans ranked just slightly better than Cox, with a score of 69.

MeanwhileJ.D. Power ranks internet providers for customer satisfaction across four separate regions in the US -- and AT&T was the top-rated provider in two of the four regions in 2024. It was included in earning category-leading scores of 537 out of 1,000 in the North Central and 546 in the West region. Cox was a more uneven finisher in three regions it scored in, with Cox earning below-average scores for two regions --- 525 in the West and 526 in the East. Its best score was in the South, coming in at 561.

What's the choice between AT&T vs. Cox? Go with AT&T Fiber

If AT&T Fiber is available at your address, consider it your top option (and count yourself lucky). With excellent value, fast speeds and strong customer satisfaction scores, those fiber plans are some of the best in the industry, and you won't need to sign a contract or worry about a data cap, installation fees or equipment fees.

AT&T's fixed wireless, 5G internet and DSL plans are much less competitive, especially when you compare them with the fast download speeds available from a cable provider like Cox. Although Cox's plans are the slightly more expensive option, you'll be getting a much faster connection, along with data cap restrictions that are more manageable than what AT&T enforces with those fixed wireless and DSL plans. All of that makes it the superior choice if fiber isn't an option.

AT&T vs. Cox FAQs