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AT&T Business Internet Editor’s Score: 90/100
| Pricing | 80 |
|---|---|
| Contract | 95 |
| Customer support | 90 |
| Internet speeds | 100 |
| Internet mobility | 95 |
Why AT&T Business Internet Is Best for Digital Entrepreneurs
It’s become easier to build a digital brand in recent years, as more people have access to easy tools for building an e-commerce website, a social media following and an email subscriber list. As a result, more entrepreneurs are looking for an internet provider that offers fast internet speeds and allows them to create and maintain an online presence. Regardless of whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a small business owner, AT&T’s fiber-optic business internet can deliver on those conditions and more. Dedicated internet, symmetrical upload and download speeds, and internet backup options are just a few of the many features available through AT&T Business. AT&T’s Dedicated Internet plans allow customers to stay connected on their own secure internet line while experiencing the fastest internet speeds possible.
Did you know?: AT&T ranked first in customer satisfaction with large enterprise wireline service five years in a row by J.D. Power.
Pros
- Download and upload speeds are symmetrical.
- AT&T offers proactive network monitoring.
- AT&T’s dedicated internet boasts near 100% uptime.
Cons
- Fiber internet is typically available only in select areas.
- Plans can get expensive for gigabit-speed internet.
AT&T Business Internet Features
| Symmetrical download/upload speeds | Download speeds are just as fast as upload speeds for large file transfers, web conferencing, and other bandwidth-hungry tasks. |
|---|---|
| Dedicated internet | A fast and reliable connection keeps your business going, with near 100% uptime. |
| No annual contract | There is flexible month-to-month or usage-based billing for business customers. |
| Internet backup | Secondary connections can help maintain operations until your primary connection comes back. |
| 24/7 proactive network monitoring | Automated ticketing and cybersecurity monitoring remove digital threats. |
| Static IP addresses | Fixed IP addresses allow access to the internet in one central area. |
Symmetrical Download and Upload Speeds
Most internet providers promote fast download speeds in their packages and deals but also offer upload speeds that are much slower. We like that AT&T delivers symmetrical internet speeds, which means the download speeds and upload speeds are the same. A business internet package promising download speeds of up to 300 Mbps, for example, also includes upload speeds of up to 300 Mbps.
Symmetrical download and upload speeds come with many benefits, especially for small business owners who operate from their homes. Business customers can perform large data transfers, conduct meetings over voice over IP (VoIP) and even multitask during web conferencing for seamless productivity.
Dedicated Internet
For businesses that operate on their own server, AT&T offers its Dedicated Internet plan as an all-in-one service that runs with near 100% uptime using a single unshared connection. With symmetrical download and upload speeds between 10 Mbps and 1 Tbps, small business owners or solo entrepreneurs can browse the internet uninterrupted.
Due to the wide array of download and upload speeds offered, AT&T Dedicated Internet can scale up as a business grows. For example, a one-person business could start with a 10 Mbps plan and then upgrade to higher speeds as more employees are hired and additional resources are required.
No Annual Contract
We like that AT&T Business doesn’t hold businesses to a yearly contract. Rather, you have the option of month-to-month or usage-based plans. If businesses experience unexpected rapid growth or need to switch plans quickly, they will only need to wait until the next month before doing so. This wasn’t the case with most of the other business internet service providers we reviewed.
Internet Backup
It’s easy to transfer information digitally nowadays, but sometimes servers experience unexpected outages. Services such as maintenance and heavy traffic could reduce internet speeds, either through the sharing of internet across connections or a dedicated internet. Fortunately, both AT&T Dedicated Internet and AT&T Business Fiber have backup options for an additional monthly charge.
The AT&T Wireless Broadband plan can also act as a backup internet option. Although Dedicated Internet and Business Fiber include a backup router with 12 to 24 hours of battery backup, customers can choose to use AT&T Wireless Broadband as either a primary connection or secondary backup option. We found this especially useful for businesses that sell products online.
24/7 Proactive Network Monitoring
Dedicated Internet and Business Fiber plan customers have access to 24/7 proactive network monitoring, a service we liked for its focus on cybersecurity. In the event of a server outage, a team of AT&T Business experts can send service tickets on behalf of a business and closely observe server activity. This service is included with the Dedicated Internet and Business Fiber plans in addition to the 24/7 customer support offered on all plans.
Static IP Addresses
The Dedicated Internet and Business Fiber plans provide static IP addresses to business customers. This is ideal for a company that hosts its own websites or needs to provide remote internet access for employees, since it’s easier to track activity from a fixed network than from a dynamic IP.
AT&T Business Internet Costs
AT&T offers the following business internet plans:
- AT&T Dedicated Internet: This is a prioritized connection plan that allows businesses to stay running even with heavy internet traffic.
- AT&T Business Fiber: This is an ultrafast and reliable plan that offers gigabit speeds with no annual contract.
- AT&T Wireless Broadband: This plan is an efficient business internet solution that can get businesses up and running quickly.
AT&T Dedicated Internet prices are not displayed online because they depend on specific business needs, so you’ll need to reach out to a sales representative for a custom quote. AT&T considers factors such as the business’s size and location when determining the final cost of a Dedicated Internet plan.
There is an option for AT&T Enterprise, which is geared toward larger businesses. You can contact the AT&T support team to determine if that type of plan is a good fit for your company.
AT&T Business Internet Setup
All of AT&T’s Business Internet plans include installation and the choice of a modem or gateway. AT&T Wireless Broadband specifically requires a hotspot or router. Unfortunately, you cannot use your own router or modem with AT&T business internet, but AT&T offers its own line of routers and recommends purchasing them for optimal performance.
You can expect AT&T business internet to be installed within 10 days at most. For all plans, an expert will install the necessary equipment to get your business up and running as soon as possible. Once the internet is set up and installed, customers can access the AT&T Business Direct portal to manage their services and pay their monthly invoices.
AT&T Business Internet Customer Service
Business experts from AT&T are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time. If you have questions outside AT&T’s support hours, the company offers an automated chat feature that’s available 24/7 and can answer any basic questions you may have and direct you to resources on the website. Upon testing the live chat feature, we found that many of the questions required a sign-in, which may deter new customers from using it and encourage them to wait for customer service via phone instead.
AT&T Business has a full support page dedicated to answering some of the most commonly asked questions. However, business customers who have questions regarding their specific plan can reach out to AT&T’s business internet customer service team by phone as well as post questions in an online community forum. In addition, customers can contact a Business Solutions specialist via an online form.
AT&T Business Internet Drawbacks
Although fiber internet provides some of the fastest download and upload speeds on the market, it does come with some disadvantages. Compared with cable and satellite internet, for example, fiber internet comes at a steep cost, especially as customers look to use gigabit internet as their primary business internet option.
If price is a concern, customers can consider using a lower-tier internet option that still offers fast internet speeds at a fraction of the cost of higher-tier plans. However, AT&T’s prices are still higher than those of other business internet services that offer wired internet connection. For more cost-effective services, consider our Spectrum review or our review of Verizon.
Another limitation is that AT&T Business Internet may not be available at your business’s location. Fiber internet typically has more limited availability than cable or satellite internet. Businesses that need to perform large data transfers or stay connected to high speed internet will need to be hosted in select areas. If your business is located in an area with limited internet connectivity, consider reading our Viasat review for an option that is available even in rural areas.
Methodology
When reviewing business internet providers, we considered some of the features that business owners would need in order to get their business going from start to finish. Part of that process included doing extensive research, calling internet providers and finally deciding on a use case for each of our chosen vendors. When doing so, we considered factors such as installation times, internet speeds, business phone services and internet availability. For digital entrepreneurs, we chose AT&T as the ideal business internet provider.
AT&T Business Internet FAQs
What is the difference between AT&T Dedicated Internet and AT&T Business Fiber?
AT&T Dedicated Internet provides fast and reliable connection exclusively for an individual business. AT&T Business Fiber offers gigabit internet speeds using a shared internet connection. Both AT&T Dedicated Internet and Business Fiber are proactively monitored and supported 24/7 by a team of AT&T Business customer service experts.
Am I eligible to use AT&T business internet?
AT&T’s business internet is available only in select areas due to the nature of fiber internet. Customers can contact AT&T directly if they wish to receive service in a non-fiber area.
What costs and fees do I need to consider when using AT&T business internet?
The costs and fees will vary depending on which business plan you choose, but the costs that apply to all plans may include fees for installation and equipment.
Is AT&T Internet Backup available for all business plans?
Both AT&T Dedicated Internet and AT&T Business Fiber come with Internet Backup, which consists of a backup router that provides businesses with 12 to 24 hours of power to keep the business going until the primary connection is back online. Customers who choose AT&T Wireless Broadband can use it as both a primary connection and a backup connection in the case of an outage.
Overall Value
We recommend AT&T business internet for …
- Digital entrepreneurs who use online marketing as a primary business tool.
- Small business owners who are looking to scale their businesses.
- Business owners who want fast internet speeds.
We don’t recommend AT&T business internet for …
- Small brick-and-mortar businesses.
- Business owners who are just starting a business and may not need superfast internet speeds from the get-go.
- Businesses in rural areas or other places with limited connectivity.
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