Help me pick an internet provider! (Atlanta)

July 19, 2016 10:16 AM

I am trying to decide which internet provider to go with, but I can't decide which is the better deal for what I need.

I do not need cable or a landline. I just want the internet. I have Apple TV & stream a lot of videos on Netflix. I'm in Atlanta.

I think my main choices are Comcast and AT&T. I've had really bad customer service with both, so I'm not thrilled about either option.

What do y'all think?

posted by thebrokenmuse to Technology (8 answers total)

Is Verizon FiOS available in your area? Their internet service is quite reliable here in Northern Virginia, and you don't have to buy phone or cable with it.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:34 AM on July 19, 2016

Depending on your zip code if you are in Atlanta Proper you probably have access to Google Fiber. I wanted TV, so I didn't go with Google (price for TV + internet was not competitive) but the internet price was pretty good.

I've had both Comcast and AT&T. Presently I am less annoyed with AT&T. It's all pretty much a crap shoot.
posted by Medieval Maven at 10:44 AM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

My understanding is that, unless you can get Google Fiber, you'll probably have to choose between a telco like Verizon or AT&T and a cable company like Comcast.

What bandwidth is available from either will depend heavily on where you are in their geographical market. One might be a better option in Buckhead, but underperform vs. the other in, say, Decatur (I'm picking at random).

In the broad, general sense:

All things being equal, the telco-based product will probably cost more, but have slightly better uptime and materially better customer service when/if you need it. They'll still suck, but they won't be as aggressively awful as the cable company.

The cable company will give you more bandwidth for less money, but will be more subject to dropouts and contention issues, and their customer service will be really, really, really awful.

What matters beyond that

All telcos now have a product they taut as "fiber". Not every installation of these products actually IS fiber, or can support fiber speeds, but that's where they're going. If you can get the actual flagship fiber product (for Verizon, it's called FiOS) with fiber-class speeds (say, 25+Mbps symmetric), that's probably your best bet even if it costs more. I don't think the cable folks have a real competing product anywhere, but I could be wrong.

So if you can't get Google Fiber, talk to your neighbors about their plans, and see who's happy, and go from there.

If you can get Google Fiber, it's kinda like that thing about "be yourself unless you can be Batman." Definitely be Batman.
posted by uberchet at 11:40 AM on July 19, 2016

Atlantan here. My area (Kirkwood) is limited to Comcast and AT&T. I've had Comcast for the last three years, largely because AT&T's consumer-grade speeds stopped at 25mbps. My uptime has been about as decent as one can expect -- occasional 1-2 hour hiccups, nothing major. I've actually gotten pretty good service for account changes by going to a physical storefront and talking to a human.

Google Fiber is on its way in, but I think it's currently available only in a very few specific areas / apartment complexes.
posted by fifthpocket at 12:15 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

In my area of Atlanta, I can choose between Comcast and AT&T. I used to have AT&T and now I have Comcast, because at my specific house, something about the phone lines meant that I could only have one specific kind of DSL that was REALLY slow.

Comcast's actual internet service has been consistent and good quality. I hate their prices and customer service, but I don't have complaints about the actual service itself.

That said, I'd decamp to Google Fiber in a hot second if it were available to me. I'm really hoping it expands to my area soon.
posted by oblique red at 1:41 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I live in Kansas City, have Google Fiber, and I'm not joking when I say that I would consider moving to an area with GFiber if you're not already in one.

Marginally more helpfully, I would choose AT&T over Comcast based on personal experience with the customer service of both, but I'm not sure how much the quality varies between cities and I've never lived in Atlanta.
posted by slenderloris at 3:11 PM on July 19, 2016

Atlantan here as well. Not much to add to the previous answers. Google Fiber is very, very limited at this time. The choice between Comcast and AT&T is going to be a zip code dependent thing. AT&T will happily sell you U-verse, but your actual bandwidth is going to depend on how far away you live from wherever they drag the fiber to. Based on my anecdotal experience with friends and neighbors, you could have a great experience with AT&T, or they won't be able to deliver enough bandwidth to stream your Netflix without a lot of stutters and frustrations. This is a situation where the AT&T quality of service (in Atlanta) doesn't neatly fall into the categories they sell on their website. If you can talk to your neighbors (like your literal, on the same street neighbors) about their AT&T experience, that would be helpful. If you are going to roll the dice, I would suggest that Comcast is the better bet. Not because the customer service will be better, but because they'll give you a higher "floor" on your bandwidth than AT&T.
posted by kovacs at 8:42 PM on July 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

East Atlanta here- just switched from AT&T to Comcast thru EarthLink. Called EarthLink and got 5 times the speed for $20 less. They are a reseller for Comcast but I have had 2 issues that needed to go thru customer service and I could not be happier. On one call they moved my install date from a week out to July 4th- yes a holiday. On the other call the seller misquoted several things (but not the price or speed) and to ease my pain they gave me installation at half price.

I worked for AT&T for 18 years- got laid off and lost my employee discount so I started looking around. Found the EarthLink deal thu word of mouth from a friend. Oh and do not take the first deal offered- they get better the more you say I will think about it or no thanks.

Both services streamed Netflix flawlessly but the faster speed with Comcast is so much nicer while surfing the net.
posted by shaarog at 12:23 PM on July 20, 2016