AT&T Internet Air Review – 5G Home Internet Plan

Bridging the connectivity gap through 5G home internet.

For the past couple of years, AT&T has been stuck in a dilemma. It wanted to offer speeds faster than the (now discontinued) DSL internet but without the need to construct an entirely different internet infrastructure from scratch. On August 22, 2023, AT&T found the perfect solution to address its customers’ pain points while keeping the operational costs to a bare minimum.

“Thus, the AT&T Internet Air was born”. With its ultra superpowers of faster speeds, better reliability, and greater affordability, AT&T Internet Air has dedicated its life to eradicating digital inequality.  

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For $55/mo

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Stick around as we review this newbie 5G home internet service and help you decide whether or not it is good for your home. 

What is AT&T Internet Air?

• Download Speed: 140 Mbps
• Upload Speed: 24 Mbps
• AT&T 5G Home Internet Plan

$55/mo.

Call 877-209-3574 Now

AT&T is in a massive transition phase. It has entered the fifth-generation wireless broadband market and is swiftly replacing the old-school digital subscriber line (DSL) with an advanced 5G home internet service called AT&T Internet Air. 

AT&T Internet Air uses the telecom’s wireless 5G cellular network to deliver download speeds of up to 140 Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 25 Mbps, which is a significant improvement from what AT&T DSL customers would typically receive. AT&T’s 5G home internet service offers one straightforward plan at a flat fee of $55 per month. 

Right now, the service is being tested in 20 select markets and is available to approximately 25.3 million people across 15 different states.

Pros 

• Unlimited monthly data 
• No annual contracts 
• No equipment fee
• A flat $55 monthly charge 
• No price hikes after 12 months 

Cons

• Availability is limited to 20 metro areas
• Slow upload and download speeds 
• Data deprioritization in favor of AT&T Wireless 5G mobile users

AT&T Internet Air Plan Review 

AT&T’s most recent fixed wireless internet (FWI) offerings include the AT&T Internet Air plan for a fixed monthly fee of $55 (after the AutoPay and paperless billings discounts). AT&T’s 5G home internet plan can transmit download speeds of up to 140 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 25 Mbps over AT&T’s advanced cellular network called AT&T Wireless.

At the moment, the AT&T Internet Air plan is offered in 20 lucrative markets with a median population density of 7,880 people per square mile. The standard $55 monthly charge includes unlimited internet data, a free self-installation kit, modem-router rental, free activation of antivirus software on 3 primary devices, and a contract-free service.  

AT&T Internet Air’s decent upload and download speeds and low latency allow simultaneous wireless internet connectivity on 20 devices. It is best suited for customers who want to experience the convenience of cordless broadband, are satisfied with basic internet speeds for their low-to-moderate internet usage, and are subscribed to an Unlimited 5G mobile plan by AT&T Wireless. Currently, AT&T is not offering discounts on Internet Air and AT&T Wireless bundles, but this may change once the nascent service finds traction with customers. 

AT&T Internet Air Speed 

The AT&T Internet Air has effectively replaced copper-based DSL internet service that used to deliver frustratingly slow download speeds of up to 6 Mbps. To meet the minimum speed requirements set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a broadband service, AT&T transferred its DSL internet customers onto AT&T Internet Air. 

This AT&T 5G home internet service can distribute internet speeds at least 20 times faster than the DSL connection. The download speed on this plan can reach a maximum of 140 Mbps, which is 23 times faster than the typical download speed on AT&T’s DSL network. Whereas, the optimal upload speed received on AT&T’s latest wireless 5G network is 50 times faster, peaking at 25 megabits per second, instead of the previous 0.512 Mbps.  

However, the performance of a broadband connection cannot be judged solely by its upload and download speeds. Latency, or the time it takes for the internet data to complete a round-trip from the user’s device to the data center and back, determines whether or not the internet connection is prone to lagging. Increased delays or high latency can be a deal breaker for professional gamers, live streamers, and remote workers. Fortunately, the latency range of AT&T Internet Air is 36 to 60 milliseconds (ms). The latency between 40 and 60 ms is considered ideal for lag-free gameplay. 

AT&T Air Internet Availability Review

The initial rollout of AT&T Internet Air was limited to 16 markets, mainly in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. Instead of targeting rural areas with a dire need for moderately-fast and affordable wireless 5G home internet services, AT&T chose to test drive the fixed wireless internet plan in metros, like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City. Since its official launch, the service has expanded to 4 more urban centers in Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Ohio. 

You can refer to the table below to view all the locations where the AT&T Internet Air plan is accessible.

Installing & Activating AT&T 5G Home Internet 

Customers receive a free self-installation kit in the mail. They can scan the QR code on top of the sealed box to find step-by-step instructions on installing and activating this plan in under 15 minutes. Upon unboxing the AT&T Internet Air self-installation kit, customers will see a cordless 5G modem (the Hub) and a power supply. They can install the AT&T Smart Home Manager app on their phones and use its “Help Me Decide” feature to find the best spot for placing the Hub. Once the customers have found the ideal location for installing AT&T’s wireless 5G modem, they must connect one end of the power supply to a main power source and the other end to the Hub. 

To activate the service, subscribers must create an online account on myAT&T and sign up with a unique username and password. They can test the 5G network by connecting a device to the AT&T Internet Air Wi-Fi network. The default password is in the instruction manual. Users can later change this password on the AT&T Smart Home Management app. 

The AT&T Smart Home Management app helps you remotely control your Wi-Fi access, manage your children’s screen time, invite guests on your 5G network, and test the speeds of your internet connection.

AT&T Internet Air’s compact and sleek-looking Hub (5G modem-router gateway) converts radio signals into digital signals for seamless Wi-Fi connectivity around the house. Its minimalist build blends in nicely with most home decor.  

AT&T Internet Air vs Competitors

AT&T is the new kid on the 5G Home Internet block. As per the custom, the latest addition to the 5G Broadband Club is receiving watchful gazes from the well-established members. Verizon (the nation’s first 5G home internet service provider), T-Mobile (the largest 5G home internet service provider in the country), and Starry (a regional service provider of 5G internet for homes) are eyeing the launch and rapid expansion of AT&T Internet Air with a grain of salt. 

Much like Verizon and T-Mobile, AT&T is part of the Big Three. In fact, it is the undefeated leader of the American telecommunications industry. Therefore, venturing into the 5G home internet business means that internet users around the country will not bat an eye before ditching other 5G home internet providers and switching to AT&T Internet Air. But in its present situation, neither the speeds nor the coverage area can match those offered by Verizon and T-Mobile. Hence, its ranking (after a brief 22-day analysis) is just 0.54 points above the Boston-based Starry Internet. For a new internet service, this is remarkable, but if we were to consider AT&T’s caliber, we can say there is a lot of room for improvement. 

In the table below, we have compared the availability, starting prices, maximum speeds, and user ratings for AT&T Internet Air and its competing plans, as offered by T-Mobile, Verizon, and Starry. 

Is AT&T Internet Air Good?

It may be too soon to answer this question as it has only been 22 days since AT&T announced the commercial launch of its ‘Internet Air’, a 5G home internet service. But in this short time, we managed to subscribe to the AT&T Internet Air plan and test the service using these four variables; price, speed, reliability, and coverage. 

AT&T Internet Air is $5 more expensive than its competitors, but the price includes an ultra-advanced 5G modem, the Hub. The gateway’s futuristic design, Smart Wi-Fi capabilities, and built-in security get a nod from us. The upload and download speeds of this plan are on the slower end, but there is no telling what the customers will get once the service completes its first quarter and more plans are added to the portfolio. For now, a maximum of 140 Mbps on the down and 25 Mbps on the up are good enough for light to moderate connectivity. The Internet Air plan operates on the same cellular network used to transmit the AT&T Wireless 5G mobile data, so in favorable conditions, its network reliability reaches 99.9 percent. However, during peak hours, the speeds will be deprioritized to give more leeway to AT&T Wireless customers.

Lastly, the coverage area of AT&T Internet Air is limited to 20 cities within a 15-state footprint. It is smaller than T-Mobile’s and Verizon’s coverage area but bigger than Starry’s 5-city service area. So overall, we can say that AT&T Internet Air has had a successful debut, and its future looks promising in the 5G home internet niche.