AT&T vs. Comcast: Which Internet Provider Is Best for Small Businesses?

Although it’s a pretty close match, if you’re caught choosing between AT&T and Comcast—like many small-business owners are—we recommend AT&T.

The right provider and plan for your business will depend on which internet factors matter the most to you. But when it comes to affordability, fast speeds, and customer service, AT&T is the better choice.

AT&T is a national provider of phone, TV, and high-speed internet access. Formerly known as AT&T U-verse, the suite of AT&T internet plans offered to US businesses come in two connection types: fiber-optic network and DSL.

Read more in our AT&T business internet review.

Comcast is best known as a residential TV and cable internet service provider (under the name Xfinity). But the massive media company, which counts companies like Universal Pictures and NBC as assets, also provides internet plans to millions of US residential and business customers. Comcast business internet plans use either pure fiber-optic internet or hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) connections.

See our Comcast business internet review to learn more.

AT&T business plans come with a one-year contract and price guarantee.

Comcast plans all come with annual contract requirements. Fiber plan agreements are 24 months, while HFC plans can be either two or three years, depending on what’s available in your area.

However, both AT&T and Comcast offer a 30-day trial, allowing you to get your money back if you cancel within the first month. The trial may ease the worry of risking your budget with either provider.

Are you looking for extremely high-speed internet service for your business? AT&T and Comcast offer some of the fastest commercially available internet plans around. In some areas, both internet service providers sell gigabit connections, which give you download speeds up to 1,000 megabits per second.

Download speeds that fast make it a breeze for dozens of employees to browse the internet, download large files, and stream audio and video.

AT&T sells a gigabit fiber plan with symmetric speeds, which means you get 1,000 Mbps downstream and upstream. If you and your employees frequently use videoconferencing and complex data sharing services, the AT&T plan is your best bet.

However, these plans do come at a premium. You’ll pay at least $300 a month to max out your business internet speeds.

Comcast includes the strongest uptime guarantee we’ve found from any business internet provider. At 99.998% for its fiber plans, you can count on your internet connection to be up and running nearly every minute of the year.

AT&T guarantees 99.95% uptime for fiber connections. That’s not too shabby, but over the course of an entire year, the fractional difference adds up.

Comcast and AT&T offer similar extras. However, some services—like data backups and security packages—are a bit cheaper with AT&T.

Do any digging around online for “Comcast” and “customer service,” and you’re bound to end up worried. The mega-corporation has a downright terrible reputation with the general public, which would give any decision maker pause.

Does AT&T fare any better? We looked at a few markers for customer and technical support, and while Comcast Business customers tend to be satisfied with their internet service, AT&T seems to be the safer choice.

One key indicator of AT&T’s edge in customer satisfaction is the results of a 2019 J.D. Power study of business internet customers.¹ While AT&T didn’t rank as well as some competitors—like Verizon and Cox—it beat Comcast in two of the three business markets J.D. Power surveyed.

J.D. Power bases its customer satisfaction rankings on six factors: “performance and reliability; cost of service; communications; sales representatives and account executives; billing; and customer service.”

If you’re a small-business owner, you may want to remember this illuminating quote from the J.D. Power study press release: “Smaller business customers may be less profitable, but if wireline companies can address the opportunities in very small business customer service, they will see an increase in satisfaction and, ultimately, retention.”¹

Considering the malice that many Comcast residential customers show for the provider, we’re comfortable giving AT&T the win for this category.

In talking to business decision makers, three factors emerged as the most important when choosing an internet service provider: speed, price, and reliability.

Choosing an internet plan usually starts with deciding how much speed you need. In other words, how fast do you want your internet connection to work?

Although the words bandwidth and speed have technically distinct meanings, internet providers often use the terms loosely. When comparing internet plans from different service providers, the number accompanying the plan name usually denotes its bandwidth. For example, AT&T’s Business Fiber 100 plan is capable of delivering 100 Mbps of download data.

Uploads are the other side of internet speed. Frequently uploading files to the internet and making audio or video calls requires faster upload speeds. So consider plans that offer high upload speeds—or equal upload speeds, as with some AT&T business fiber plans.

One more thing: consider what the future holds for your business needs. Do you expect substantial growth? Adding more employees could mean heavier internet use, which can bog down slower internet plans. As a growing business, you should choose a plan that works for you now and in the future.

Although Comcast has a few good features—like free installation and an unmatched reliability guarantee—AT&T offers more affordable, faster plans and better customer experience.

Comcast Business isn’t a terrible choice—especially if you want to save on installation fees or need near-perfect connection uptime. Yet, AT&T customers are decidedly more satisfied with their business internet plans, which are often more affordable and faster than the competition.

Want to dig deeper into your internet options? Read through our Comcast review to get more in-depth information before making a decision. Also compare options like Verizon vs Comcast, AT&T vs Comcast or even T1 vs Cable Internet.

We did an in-depth analysis of both AT&T and Comcast business internet plans and bundles. We examined pricing, guaranteed uptimes, customer service, customer satisfaction, and bandwidth. These brands were also considered in the broader context of other top internet providers on the market today. 

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.