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AT&T Internet Air rating

How we calculated our rating

6.9/10

CNET Score

We score internet providers for speed, value and customer care. Our data sources include the FCC, J.D. Power, The American Customer Satisfaction Index and extensive in-house research.

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6.9

/ 10

SCORE

Speed

6.5/10

Value

7/10

Customer Care

7/10

Pros

• Decent speeds for a rural connection
• Free equipment, simple setup
• No contracts, overage fees or price increase at 12 months

Cons

• Possible speed throttling
• Limited availability

See more pros and cons

AT&T Internet Air review

It's no secret thatAT&T Fiber is a home internet crowd-pleaser. We voted itthe best internet provider in the country for 2025 (tied withVerizon Fios), and it was rated thefastest ISP for 2025 by Ookla Speedtest data -- as well as the most consistent and the top-rated ISP. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) But, where do those glowing reviews leave AT&T Internet Air, the telecom company's latest internet service offering?

On paper, there's a lot to be excited about: AT&T Internet Air relies on a5G network to get users online and features an all-in-one plan with download speeds ranging from 90 to 300 megabits per second, a vast improvement from the speeds offered by AT&T's DSL service. Plus, your equipment is included for free, and there are no term agreements.

5G home internet offers faster speeds and fewer delays compared to 4G LTE, and has becomean increasingly popular option for home internet overall.As fiber networks remain challenging to expand in new markets, it's no surprise that providers like AT&T are turning to fixed wireless internet options like 5G home internet to reach more houses. This technology provides a long-overdue upgrade forbroadband in rural areas relying on the slow speeds ofDSL internet and is often anamicable alternative to wired internet service providers in the city.

AT&T has an existing sprawling mobile network and offers a traditional, 4G LTE fixed wireless internet option, but it has held back on its 5G home internet service until now.T-Mobile Home Internet andVerizon 5G Home Internet have long dominated the 5G home internet space since 2021, but now AT&T is stepping up to the plate.AT&T Internet Air was first introduced only to existing DSL customers as a service upgrade, but is now available to all new customers (along with upgrade-eligibleDSL customers) in nearly 100 markets across 48 states.

Whether it’s available to you as an upgrade or an entirely new service, you’re probably wondering whether AT&T Internet Air is worth signing up for. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is AT&T Internet Air exactly?

AT&T Internet Air is a new home internet service delivered over AT&T's 5G wireless network. The enhanced wireless network supports faster speeds than AT&T's traditional fixed wireless service (which typically tops out at a mere 10Mbps) and eliminates the need for a mounted receiver with a direct line of sight to a nearby tower.

Compared with the other 5G home internet providers, specificallyT-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home Internet, AT&T Internet Air has some definite catching up to do regarding coverage area and availability. But pricing and service terms should be on par with the competition. Here's what to expect.

AT&T Internet Air plan and pricing

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

AT&T Internet Air offers just one plan, for $60 a month. Service includes the fastest speeds available, typically between 90 and 300Mbps down and 8 to 30Mbps up, according to AT&T. If you bundle with a qualifying mobile plan from AT&T, you lower that monthly rate to $47.

As with every fixed wireless provider, actual speeds to the home depend on network congestion and your home's proximity to a tower. Some people may see faster speeds, at least until more customers join the local network, while others may experience slower speeds. TheFederal Communications Commission defines broadband as at least 100Mbps in download speed and 20Mbps in upload speed, so if your AT&T Internet Air speeds fall on the lower end, it may technically not qualify as a broadband connection. That said, AT&T Internet Air should still offer enoughspeed for basic internet usage; if you have a lot of streamers, gamers or remote workers using your service, it may not be the plan for you.

CNET's Joe Supan tried out AT&T Internet Air and found the speeds sorely lacking compared with his cable internet service -- barely topping out at 10Mbps. But again, your experience might differ based on your location, so it's worth trying at your address to see what speeds you can get.

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is ahead of the game as far as speeds go for 5G internet: Thanks toequipment upgrades, T-Mobile can now offer up to 415Mbps for 5G internet customers. AT&T Internet Air definitely has some catching up to do.

Watch out for possible fluctuating speeds and throttling

A wired connection likecable,fiber or evenDSL, can generally offer more consistent speeds to the home, but speeds over a wireless service, even one as advanced as 5G, can vary considerably at any time for a number of reasons. For one,inclement weather can affect your connection, but network congestion is the most likely cause of slower 5G home internet speeds. 

To counter the potential problem, AT&T says it will “greatly reduce your speed for a minimum of 30 minutes” if your usage is deemed to be significantly contributing to network congestion. 

What isn't clear is how AT&T determines when and how you're contributing to network congestion. I'd recommend being somewhat aware of your internet use -- how many devices are connected, what tasks they're performing, and at what time of day -- for the first few months of service. Take note of anyspeed throttling instances to understand what may cross the congestion contribution threshold.

Where can you sign up for AT&T Internet Air?

Wireless delivery is a big advantage to 5G home internet as it can reach many homes in an area without the need for cable infrastructure. AT&T Internet Air does not yet boast nearly the same availability as T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet, but we can expect it to grow -- especially as a viable rural internet option.

AT&T Internet Air is currently available across 47 states in the US. That sounds like a lot, and it is, but many markets are also serviceable for AT&T Fiber. If your address is eligible for AT&T Fiber, don't hesitate to switch to fiber: Eventhe slowest AT&T Fiber plan is cheaper, faster and comes with trulyunlimited data compared with AT&T Internet Air.

AT&T Internet Air is still growing, but here are some the major cities that can sign up for service.

Residents might also find coverage in Fort Pierce, Florida; Weslaco, Texas; San Luis Obispo, California; Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Panama City, Florida; Thomasville, Georgia; Sherman, Texas; Ada, Oklahoma, Victoria, Texas and more.Check out the list of markets that is serviceable for AT&T Internet Air.

When I ran serviceability checks, using dozens of addresses in various AT&T Internet Air markets, results mostly included AT&T Fiber plans or AT&T Internet -- the DSL service that AT&T Internet Air is replacing. Very few addresses gave me the option of AT&T Internet Air, despite checking availability in and around roughly 15 cities.

Plug in your your address here to see if you are eligible for service. If you are an AT&T Internet (DSL) customer, AT&T will likely contact you when Internet Air becomes available as an upgrade to your home internet service.

AT&T Internet Air service terms

The network congestion policy is a bit vague, but everything else that can affect your service or your bill is more straightforward. Equipment is included at no extra cost, there are no overage fees, no contracts and no set price increases at the 12-month mark.

Free equipment

AT&T’s sleek-looking AT&T All-Fi is included with the monthly cost, replacing a modem and router. The self-setup process (no professional installation required) involves little more than plugging in the router and setting up your Wi-Fi network. You may want totry placing the router in different locations throughout your home to determine which location gives you the best coverage and connection quality. AT&T also offers ActiveArmor, a security plan with built-in defenses. The AT&T Smart Home Manager app will likely recommend a place for the gateway device (in Supan's case, it recommended placing it near a window and facing west).

If your connection is lacking in certain areas of your home, AT&T offerswhole-home mesh Wi-Fi with up to five extenders for an additional $10 monthly.

No overage fees

This language from AT&T for Internet Air is new to me. AT&T Fiber hasno data caps or unlimited data. AT&T Internet, the DSL service, and AT&T Fixed Wireless have set data caps and fees for going over.

AT&T Internet Air does not mention specific data caps, only that there areno overage fees, which implies that you can use as much data as you want, seemingly “unlimited.” However, AT&T reserves the right to throttle your speeds during high usage periods. So, while your data use may result in throttled speeds for a period, you won’t have to worry about adding anything to your bill.

No contracts or set price increase at 12 months

There areno contracts with AT&T Internet Air, so you can try the service risk-free without fear of early termination fees if you decide the service isn’t for you. 

If AT&T Internet Air does end up meeting your needs, you won’t be hit with a set price increase after a year of service. That’s not to say the price will never go up, but there isn’t a definite, and potentially steep, price increase at the 12-month mark like you get with many internet providers.

How does AT&T Internet Air compare?

AT&T Internet Air is still a relatively new service, so it’s tough to say how it holds up to other internet providers when it comes to performance and overall value. 

On paper, AT&T Internet Air is comparable to 5G home internet from T-Mobile, though it lacks the same breadth of coverage. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is faster at 87 to 415Mbps versus AT&T Internet Air's 90 to 300Mbps range. Verizon 5G Home Internet has a higher speed range than both (50 to 300Mbps or 85 to 1,000Mbps) and a lower starting price than AT&T Internet Air at $50 monthly or less for qualifying mobile customers.

Considering themobile bundle discount, choosing AT&T,Verizon or T-Mobile for 5G home internet may depend on your wireless carrier. 

As forother connection types, AT&T Internet Air will likely be a significant improvement over DSL, but I wouldn’t count on it replacing your cable or fiber service just yet.

Depending on the available providers in your area,cable and fiber internet will offer more, and faster, speed options and better connection quality, even if the price is a bit more per month.

AT&T Internet Air customer satisfaction

While AT&T's fiber internet service consistently performs well, according to theAmerican Customer Satisfaction Index andJ.D. Power, AT&T's non-fiber services trail behind.

AT&T Fiber claimed the ACSI’s top spot for customer satisfaction among fiber providers, scoring 78 out of 100 for 2025. For non-fiber, AT&T Internet fared less well, gravitating toward the middle of the pack with a 70/100 among non-fiber providers, a 1% decrease from the previous year. T-Mobile's 5G Home Internet scored the highest, with a 78, followed by Verizon 5G at 77.

While AT&T's non-fiber rankings are lacking, keep in mind that ACSI lumps all of AT&T's non-fiber services into that category: It likely lags behind due to low scores from its DSL and fixed wireless services.

Notably, since J.D. Power has begun using different categories for "wired" and "non-wired" internet connection types,fixed wireless internet has proven increasingly popular among customers. AT&T's wireless internet options (assumedly AT&T Internet Air and its slower fixed wireless option) ranked last overall.

Moreover, I turned toReddit for more insight into how well the service has been received thus far. Reddit was, as it often is, a mixed bag of positive and negative comments.

Some praised the speeds and connection quality while others said they would rather keep their DSL service and referred to Internet Air’s cellular internet service as “a glorified hotspot for your home.”

Is AT&T Internet Air worth it?

It’s still early, but given the popularity, convenience and apparent value of 5G home internet service, I would say AT&T Internet Air is at least worth considering, especially for those in rural areas where options are often limited.

Ultimately, there is no contract with AT&T Internet Air, so there is no risk to testing it out to see what kind of speeds and latency you can get at your address.

AT&T Internet Air FAQs