Starlink vs. AT&T Fiber: How Do They Compare & Which Is Better?

Starlink and AT&T Fiber represent two of the newest and most advanced internet service options available today. Starlink leverages a network of satellites in low Earth orbit to beam high-speed internet around the globe. AT&T Fiber uses fiber optic cable infrastructure to deliver lightning fast speeds across different regions of the United States.

Deciding between these two providers comes down to weighing factors like availability, speed, pricing, and data allowances. This guide will compare Starlink vs. AT&T Fiber to help you determine the best internet service provider for your needs.

Starlink vs. AT&T Fiber Overview

*Starlink may throttle speeds during network congestion once over 250 GB of usage per month
**AT&T Fiber is known to throttle speeds after certain unpublicized data usage levels

As you can see from the overview, both Starlink and AT&T Fiber offer high speed internet access with no strict data caps. However, there are some key differences when it comes to availability, pricing, and real-world speed performance.

Comparing Availability

One of the biggest differences between Starlink and AT&T Fiber is availability. Starlink leverages satellites in space to deliver internet, which allows it to provide coverage across wide geographical areas rather than being limited by ground infrastructure.

As of January 2023, Starlink reports having over 300,000 subscribers across 34 countries including the United States, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Australia and more. They are steadily launching additional satellites into low Earth orbit with aims to achieve full global coverage by 2023.

This makes Starlink a great option for rural or remote areas where fiber infrastructure is not available or cost-prohibitive to build out. Even some metro areas may not have access to AT&T Fiber currently but could still get Starlink.

In comparison, AT&T Fiber leverages fiber optic cables built out in certain metro regions and is only available in select areas of 22 U.S. states at present. You can check availability for your address on the AT&T website, but many suburban and rural locations will not have access.

So when it comes to availability, Starlink has much wider current coverage and future growth potential vs the limited availability of AT&T Fiber.

Comparing Speeds

When it comes to internet speeds, AT&T Fiber has a strong advantage over the maximum speeds currently offered by Starlink.

AT&T Fiber offers tiered speed packages to choose from:

• 300 Mbps download
• 500 Mbps download
• 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) download
• 5 Gbps (5000 Mbps) download

The fastest 5 Gbps package from AT&T Fiber is 20x faster than the top speed delivered by Starlink‘s satellites currently, which maxes out at 250 Mbps down. Even AT&T‘s baseline 300 Mbps plan exceeds Starlink‘s top speed.

However, real-world speed tests show that Starlink often provides faster, more consistent performance than what AT&T Fiber subscribers actually experience. According to a 2022 report from Ookla Speedtest, Starlink delivers average download speeds around 90 Mbps in Q4 2022, while AT&T Fiber came in at 78 Mbps during testing.

So while AT&T advertises and offers packages for much faster speeds, the current satellite network powering Starlink tends to provide excellent real-world speed performance that meets or exceeds user expectations. As Starlink expands its network capacity, they expect to offer increased speeds up to 1 Gbps by end of 2024.

Pricing Comparison

When comparing monthly pricing for Starlink vs AT&T Fiber, AT&T generally offers better value especially at their lowest speed tiers:

• Starlink: $110/month
• AT&T Fiber 300 Mbps: $55/month
• AT&T Fiber 500 Mbps: $65/month
• AT&T Fiber 1 Gbps: $80/month
• AT&T Fiber 5 Gbps: $180/month

As you can see above, AT&T‘s 300 Mbps and 500 Mbps fiber internet packages deliver speed that meets or beats Starlink at nearly half the $110 monthly cost. Even upgrading to AT&T‘s 1 Gbps matches Starlink‘s expected future speed for $30 less per month.

However, Starlink doesn‘t charge extra for equipment, taxes or installation. The $110 monthly cost covers everything, while AT&T Fiber adds on taxes and fees plus a required $99 install fee. Still, the total cost of ownership is lower for AT&T Fiber especially at slower speed tiers.

For users who value reliability and consistent speeds over peak speeds, Starlink presents a compelling value as you move up into AT&T‘s more expensive Gigabit and multi-Gig packages. But for the average household, AT&T Fiber provides better speeds for the money.

Data Allowances

Both Starlink and AT&T Fiber advertise having no hard data caps, allowing customers unlimited high speed data usage each month. However, there are some caveats.

Starlink notes that they may throttle your speeds during congested periods once exceeding 250GB of monthly usage. They don’t cut off your access, but deprioritize traffic from heavy users to ensure consistent performance for all.

AT&T Fiber also promotes unlimited data with no caps. But users have reported speed throttling slow downs once exceeding unpublicized thresholds, sometimes by up to 80-90%. This makes it harder to estimate the real-world data limits for AT&T Fiber subscribers.

So both providers technically offer unlimited data, but can throttle performance for the top few percent of heaviest users during peak congestion periods. For most households staying under 250GB per month, Starlink presents a more transparent and consistent unlimited data offering.

History and Background

To understand the technology and motivations behind these two internet providers, it helps to cover a brief history on Starlink and AT&T Fiber:

Starlink History

• 2015: SpaceX founder Elon Musk announces intentions to build a global space-based satellite internet network
• May 2019: Initial batch of 60 Starlink test satellites launched
• October 2020: Starlink begins public beta service at select locations across North America
• 2022 and beyond: Ongoing major satellite launches planned to achieve near 24/7 global coverage by 2023

Starlink was created by rocket company SpaceX under founder Elon Musk with the goal of providing low latency, reliable internet access to virtually anyone across the globe. It took years of research, development and satellite launches to prove out the technology and make the service commercially viable.

Today Starlink presents an appealing new internet option providing real competition to slower, less reliable rural internet offerings. It also future-proofs internet access innovation with capabilities and tech unmatched by land-based providers.

AT&T Fiber History

• 2008-2014: AT&T invests in early stage fiber trials to homes in select regions
• 2014 & Beyond: Large investments begun for expanded fiber rollouts allowing access to 20 million locations across US by 2019
• Current Status: Ongoing fiber infrastructure builds continuing nationwide

Recognizing the long-term potential for fiber internet to meet growing speed demands, AT&T began investing heavily in fiber optic rollouts starting in 2008. By 2022, the company had spent over $35 billion building out fiber access allowing 25 million customer locations.

The motivation behind AT&T Fiber stemmed from meeting the rapidly rising internet speed demand for streaming, gaming and video conferencing usage among consumers and businesses. Their fiber investment proves a long-term strategic priority for staying competitive.

Pros and Cons Comparison

Weighing the pros and cons helps summarize whether Starlink or AT&T Fiber is better:

Starlink Pros

• Available virtually anywhere globally
• Consistent, low-latency performance
• Doesn‘t throttle speeds based on usage amounts
• Easy setup and portability from location to location
• Future-proofed satellite network with expansion planned

Starlink Cons

• Can suffer brief drops during extreme weather
• Speeds currently max out at ~250 Mbps
• Higher monthly cost than some AT&T packages
• Potential congestion throttling over 250GB during peak usage

AT&T Fiber Pros

• Very fast speed tiers available, up to 5 Gbps
• Lower monthly cost for slower speed tiers
• Leverages reliable, dedicated fiber lines
• Established national provider with history of service quality

AT&T Fiber Cons

• Availability severely limited, not accessible for many
• Significant speed throttling reported after usage thresholds
• Higher taxes and fees plus installation charges
• Can‘t take service with you when moving locations

As shown above, both providers have their own unique advantages and tradeoffs to weigh based on your location, budget, speed needs and other personal preferences.

FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Starlink vs AT&T Fiber:

Is Starlink faster than AT&T Fiber?

AT&T Fiber offers faster maximum speed tiers, but real-world speed tests show Starlink matching or exceeding average AT&T Fiber speeds currently.

Does weather impact Starlink connectivity?

Heavy rain or snow can lead to brief service impacts until the weather passes. The network is designed to minimize disruption even in extreme weather.

How much data can you use with Starlink or AT&T Fiber?

Both advertise unlimited data for residential plans. But Starlink may throttle speeds over 250GB of monthly usage, while AT&T has unpublicized usage thresholds before throttling after which speeds may reduce by up to 90%.

Is AT&T Fiber available in rural areas?

AT&T Fiber is focused on metro and suburban regions with the most households. It isn‘t cost-effective for them to expand infrastructure to remote areas, which makes Starlink a better rural option.