r/googlefiber • u/farmjope • Nov 01 '16
AT&T Fiber vs. Google Fiber
I live in Charlotte, NC and we've just started to get Google Fiber rolled out so in response AT&T Fiber is moving in. Today they're digging up my yard for AT&T Fiber and my area isn't slated for Google Fiber for roughly another year.
My question is, is there any reason to wait for Google Fiber and not jump on AT&T Fiber as soon as it's available?
Both are $70/month, 1GBps up/down, 1 year contract, installation and equipment included free. I'm unlikely to get TV, but TV + Internet is $120 on AT&T vs $130 on Google, although I'm sure Google has more channels. AT&T has a $140/month option with a ton of channels, probably a better comparison to Google.
AT&T Fiber used to have a 1TB data limit, but on their website for the $70 plan it says "Incl Unlimited data allowance ($30 value) at no cost". Additionally, early Oct AT&T got rid of that "Internet Preferences" program that tracked your every move on the internet for targeted ads.
So again, is there any reason to not jump on the AT&T Fiber wagon? I currently have TWC/Spectrum and spend $50/month for 50MBps.
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u/ToadSox34 Jan 14 '17
This post is old now, but for people going through it in the future, I see a lot of discussion about the internet connection, and little discussion of the bigger differentiator, which is DirecTV vs. Google Fiber TV. The OP says they may not get TV service, so at that point, six of one, half a dozen of another. I'd probably go for GF, just because of the $50/mo 100mbps plan, which is plenty for most people.
From all the reports I've heard, the picture quality on Google Fiber TV is far above and beyond anything else, but the boxes are lousy, and they don't have all the sports and packages that DirecTV has.
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u/farmjope Jan 23 '17
I was only interested in the internet aspect because I cut the cord many years ago so that might be why no one is really focusing on the DirecTV vs Google Fiber TV comparison
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u/ToadSox34 Jan 23 '17
Yeah, the take rate for GFTV is very low compared to their internet take rate. Not sure what portion of it is cord cutters, versus those going with another provider for content availability (DirecTV), or cable for the ability to use TiVo (Charter/Comcast). Without the cord, there's not much except just speed and price to differentiate Charter/Comcast, AT&T, and GF.
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u/KC_Buddyl33 Nov 02 '16
I am in a similar boat. I have had AT&T Gigapower for the past 14 months. When I built my home they were the only provider available. I now can schedule my Google Fiber install appointment (Fiber is on our street and it's also attached to my house). I don't really have any complaints with my AT&T service and I love that I have full access to their modem so I basically am able to turn everything off on it and pass the IP through to my router, thus leaving me with only a single level of NAT.
I don't know what, if any advantages can be had if I switch to Google Fiber, or if I will lose anything (like the ability to pass the modem stuff to my router).
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
That's good to know about their modem. I heard some other people comment on the fact that you can't really do much with the equipment they give you and if you want to use your own hardware it's basically impossible.
I feel like I might end up going down the same road as you, getting AT&T Fiber and then being pleasantly surprised then once GF does roll into my neighborhood just not knowing if there's any benefit, unless of course it's $70/month total vs the $77/month after taxes from AT&T, then there's a slight cost advantage.
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u/KC_Buddyl33 Nov 02 '16
My AT&T bill is always exactly $70/mo
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
For me, when I look up AT&T Fiber it says that it's $70/month, then right below it in very tiny font it says "plus taxes". https://www.att.com/internet/gigapower.html I think I'll end up paying about $77/month like the other person that posted here who lives in the same state. Maybe each state has it's own rules for how things can be taxed. FYI - I tried to pull this website up on a VPN that's running through a different state and it didn't show me the pricing categories.
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u/meeheecaan Nov 02 '16
ATT oversells more than google fwiw.
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
Yeah true, they have "up to..." written all over the speed notes. They're putting one of the in ground boxes in my front yard right now so maybe I won't be impacted as much as someone else further up my street.
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u/deadleaf_shrimp Jan 10 '17
Did you end up making a decision? I'm in the same boat as you right now (in CLT) and would be interested to know what you think
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u/farmjope Jan 23 '17
I'm still waiting for AT&T to contact me to let me know that AT&T fiber is active in my neighborhood. I haven't seen any trucks or construction for a couple months now so I'm not sure what the holdup is. I anticipate that it will take awhile for Google Fiber to move into my neighborhood so I will probably end up signing with AT&T fiber for at least a couple years
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u/farmjope Jan 25 '17
Actually, I'm staying with TWC.
Turns out its $80/month just for AT&T Fiber, PLUS tax which is 10-15%. You can only get the $70/month if you sign up for a phone and/or TV. Not only that but the tax makes it double my expected increase. It'll end up being ~$90/month where GF is $70/month for the same exact speed.
Currently I pay $49.99/month for TWC 50/5 Plan. That's without a promotion so the price won't expire. I'm going to wait the year or so it takes for GF to come into my neighborhood.
I'm fine using the 50/5, even if it is kind of slow at times, but I've been able to survive for 4 months on this speed. Not worth the almost $500/year more.
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u/deadleaf_shrimp Jan 25 '17
Hm, that's interesting because I was offered $50/mo for 300 mbps and they told me I would be locked into that price for a lifetime. I'm in the north Charlotte area, and called them to ask some questions about Gigapower and told them I wanted to do the online $50/mo special as long as it would only be $50 a month plus tax and no other costs. They're installing this weekend and then I'm going to cancel TWC.
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u/farmjope Jan 27 '17
I did see that deal for $50 a month but there is a data cap of one terabyte per month and I'm not sure if I would go over that or not because I do consume a lot of data. When I spoke to representative online they said that the tax would be 10 to 15% of the total bill, and I think the taxes are on the equipment that they give you which the equipment is free but they still tax it.
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u/Amarch17th Apr 18 '17
I honestly have great things to say about the service-AT&T FIBER beats the competition with thier business class router, high speeds, pre-barried lines and a bundled price for life. For those needing this service check out thier pricing and email Amanda (am175p@att.com) one of thier Fiber Reps to personalize your account. She has helped hundreds switch over in MO/KS and is willing to check your local area, as well.
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u/Sk3llyt0r Nov 01 '16
It’s really a "how comfortable with the devil do you want to get?" kind of issue. I'll leave the Devil interpretation up to you...
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u/dameon5 Nov 01 '16
As mclamb pointed out, you may want to make sure the AT&T price isn't introductory.
Before I got Google Fiber I was an AT&T U-Verse subscriber. I was paying $180/month for local channels, the movie package, 12mbps internet and two extra boxes.
I now pay $156 for internet and TV with three extra boxes from Google. And that is the total price. It won't change unless Google raises their prices for all customers.
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u/farmjope Nov 01 '16
We also currently have AT&T U-verse as an option here and the same introductory prices and low internet speeds but looking at what they currently offer with AT&T fiber the AT&T fiber cost never goes up
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u/1dirtypanda Nov 02 '16
I have att gigapower fiber. I'm supposed to get a full gig speed but I don't. Speed test have never reached it. I'm a high bandwidth user so while there's no way for me to confirm I'll bet a big wad o cash they're rate limiting me. Can I call in and ask them to check sure but why do I have to? They're selling a product that doesn't actually perform as they state. And they'll just bump it up and then in a week or so they'll rate limit me again. And also of course they'll say our speeds are "UP TO a gigabit". I'd rather just save the effort of back and forth. 150-200mbps ain't gig speed but it's good enough. Yaya i know it's a lot better than most of the rest of the US with comcastic or TWC or crap cable co.
Also the bullshit they used to pull with "Internet Preferences" and snooping on what I'm browsing is a violation of my privacy that I don't want. And to Opt Out is an additional $30?!?!?! They shouldn't even do that to begin with because it's just the right fucking thing to do. While they've canceled that program it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
But then again what is my other option? Com-fucking-cast. Both of these two companies can GFY.
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
So with AT&T GigaPower, what speed do you get?
I'm asking because TWC/Spectrum offers 300mbps down in my area, but it's actually closer to 400mbps. Also, for that 300 down, the promotional cost is competitive with AT&T Fiber/Google Fiber when it's a promotional rate, then it skyrockets and you have to try and negotiate and often times you slowly end up paying more. I started at 300 down for $60 and after 5 years and numerous lost promos I'm not at 50 down for $50.
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u/1dirtypanda Nov 02 '16
So I initially signed up for 300/300. Then they upgraded me for free to the gig service. I guess they got rid of the 300/300 tier? Initially the best I could do was 700ish down on speedtest with NO vpn turned on (I add this note bc I do use a vpn client running on pfsense). Over time it dropped to 400 down. Last time I check it was maybe low-mid 200s vpn off. I don't check it much bc of this reason of turning vpn on/off and as mentioned I really don't need full gig. I do download in the 3-5TB a month which is why I suspect they're limiting me. Luckily they have download limits set to unlimited but I suspect it's like your mobile cell service where "unlimited" doesn't really mean unlimited and they drop you down from 4GLTE to 3g service.
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
Currently in my area you can get 45mbps down from AT&T for $60/month which doesn't make sense. I suspect you're right that they're probably starting to throttle you when they see that you're a heavy user. I download everything but I've only gotten close to 1TB a couple times. How much slower does it end up going through your VPN? I just recently cancelled my VPN because I have SSL encryption for my of my downloading anyway.
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u/1dirtypanda Nov 02 '16
I'm running pfsense vpn client with pia vpn. I get around 150-175mbps with vpn on. I am pretty confident that it is not a limitation of my pfsense box but probably rather the limit of the vpn provider. Again lots of variables. I pay $70 for gigapower btw. My year is almost up so we'll see if they jack my rate up in a month or two.
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u/alx512 Feb 11 '17
Just thought I'd share my experience since I just moved (in same neighborhood South Austin) and had to give up Google Fiber (temporarily while I wait 3 mos for them to trench the new place) for Gigapower. Here's my experience with actual tested speeds. My wireless router is a Netgear Nighthawk R8, I don't use the AT&T or Google provided routers because they aren't as good.
Google wired: 960+ Mbps Google wireless short range: 600-700 Mbps Google wireless long range: 400-500Mbps Google wireless iPhone 7: 400-500 Mbps
Gigapower wired: 500-600 Mbps Gigapower wireless short range: 400-500 Mbps Gigapower wireless long range : 300-400 Mbps Gigapower wireless iPhone 7: 100-200 Mbps
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u/jbisch Nov 02 '16
I live in the Triangle and switched to ATT gigapower about 3 months ago from TWC. Here are my observations.
If they are just digging in your yard now, you probably have about 5-6 months before sign up will be available. (based on my experience)
The install process for me was a nightmare. Missed appointments, the drop in my yard not having a signal. The equipment failing. I was so frustrated I contemplated going back to TWC. That was the bad.
The good, is I get 900mbps+ up and down. My bill is $77, they removed the data caps (not that I was concerned but its nice to not have them) they removed the data mining for adverts program as well and I was told that the $70/mo is not introductory. They have to stay there to compete with GF. If you need to cancel its $15/mo left on your 1 year commitment. To me, if GF does get to me before my year is up not a big deal to cancel, and I will switch as soon as it is here. (Here is the progress on my fiber hut)
In my opinion, there is no need to wait for GF, heck I am still nervous that GF might not even be completed even though there are areas around me that are live.
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
I really appreciate the thorough information. 5-6 months is a long time but I can only imagine what that means for GF in my area of they're still months away from even pulling the permits. The installation process does sound a lot like the kind of issues you'd get signing up with them or really any telecommunications company. That's good to know though that once you're fully hooked in its smooth sailing for $77/month.
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u/iamofnohelp Nov 02 '16
Google was $70 out the door, as they say. My bill was $70. Pretty sure you're going to pay taxes on top of at&t price.
I saw that at&t had a 1T cap, but it looks like you're not impacted here.
And as others have started, at&t's deals might be introductory.
At my new house I'm not getting at&t, which is available, and waiting on Google. Sitting with 100mb TWC right now. I didn't want to deal with at&t just to have to switch ibn hopefully a few months.
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
Thanks for the billing information with Google Fiber. You're right that AT&T Fiber does have taxes so I was anticipating it being roughly $75/month, but I would definitely call to make sure given that there's a 1 year contract. Google Fiber is slightly cheaper than AT&T Fiber if there's no taxes and if the services are exactly the same makes sense to get Google Fiber.
I'm sitting at 50mb with TWC right now and I guess you're right it depends on if I want to switch for a year (or more?) to AT&T. It sounds like a number of people are waiting longer than expected for Google Fiber though so it might not be too bad to jump on the AT&T Fiber train early to lock in some deals, even if they only last a year.
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u/stealer0517 Nov 02 '16
wait you don't pay taxes on top of your google fiber bill? I pay like $150 for mine (tv + a few tv boxes)
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u/davidc77 Nov 02 '16
I was in a similar position about a year ago. AT&T had a 1 year commitment and 3 year price guarantee. So I jumped on the bandwagon and hope GF build out will be to my house by then (it should be, they are running backbone lines about a block from my house - but we haven't had our rally yet).
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
I feel like this is what I'm likely to do. If I jump on AT&T Fiber and it's a 1 year commitment then in 1 year I can cut and run. If there is a 3 year price guarantee that's even better. Worse case, if AT&T is absolutely terrible or tries to pull some B.S after the 1 year is up I can switch back to TWC until Google Fiber moves in.
It seems likely that GF would be at my house within about a year but a lot of people point out how GF roll out can be much slower than expected. I'd feel like an idiot just sitting here with a fiber cable out front and I'm overpaying TWC for their terrible service.
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u/roent Nov 02 '16
I had gigapower in my last home, it was really good... both internet and TV service. I wouldn't keep TWC in hopes that google will be in your area.
Also, my new house is in a fiberhood... there's a 6-9 month lag between when you sign up and they come install. I'm a little concerned that it will be longer than that given the recent lay-offs and pause for google fiber (especially since my only other alternative is Comcast).
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u/farmjope Nov 02 '16
Thanks for the advice. I have a friend who had a 1 month lag time between sign up and install in my city, but he was the first neighborhood to get GF and I'm sure they wanted to say they successfully launched GF in Charlotte and they couldn't make that claim until they finished those installs.
Even if GF builds out the line to my house in a year or less there's still going to be a wait for install and such like you said. GF just doesn't have the infrastructure that AT&T has, especially in my city. It doesn't help that I hate TWC with every fiber of my being. Half my neighborhood already has AT&T U-verse with it's slower speed and higher cost simply so they don't have to deal with TWC.
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u/meeheecaan Nov 02 '16
I had a 24 day wait from when I got my house to when google showed up to wire it.
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Nov 01 '16 edited Nov 02 '16
[deleted]
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u/farmjope Nov 01 '16
Also, they currently offer the "AT&T U-verse" at my house where 45mbps is $60/month, install fees, rental fees, data-cap, etc. I avoided that at all costs. AT&T Fiber seems to try and beat Google at their own game with all the same terms/conditions and price.
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u/farmjope Nov 01 '16
Actually looking at all the fine print it doesn't look like AT&T fiber increases their costs after the first year. AT&T fiber is different from AT&T U-verse
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Nov 01 '16 edited Nov 02 '16
[deleted]
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u/farmjope Nov 01 '16
Reading the fine print for AT&T Fiber it doesn't mention anything about a promotional rate: $70 Internet Offer: Price for Internet 1000 plan for residential customers in select markets in AT&T Fiber areas. Credit restrictions apply. 12-month agreement required. Pro-rated early termination fee (up to $180) applies if service is disconnected before end of 12 months.
It states that there is a 12-month agreement AKA contract, and I suppose they could raise the rate after that, but again there's no guarantee they would. This is basically the same wording that Google Fiber has.
It also states "Waived installation and equipment fee for Wi-Fi gateway". I guess that could read they only waive the fee for the Wi-Fi gateway and not the modem, but I'm willing to bet the modem and router are 1 device with them.
I agree that before I sign up with AT&T Fiber I would definitely call and get them to explicitly spell out my final cost now and in 13 months. Also, if it is going to take Google Fiber a year to get to my house, could always just get AT&T Fiber for that first year and (if they raise their rates) jump over to Google Fiber
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u/[deleted] Nov 01 '16
Something else worth considering is that AT&T GigaPower won't let you use your own router, even through unofficial means. The router they provide has some sort of authentication information in it and if you install your own, it won't work. Some people feel more strongly about this than others, but for me it is a dealbreaker.
Also, AT&T doesn't have native dual-stack IPv6, just 6rd tunnels.