AT&T Internet 50 Plan Details: Is AT&T Internet 50 A Good Choice For Customers In 2024?

The United States is striving hard to promote internet connectivity across all areas. The government is partnering up with telecom giants like AT&T to narrow down the digital divide.  According to a Statista study, as of 2024, more than 97.1% of Americans have access to high-speed internet. 

As a result of these efforts, there are now hundreds of internet service providers in the country, offering a wide range of internet plans and tech, such as fiber, cable, DSL, etc. Among the various options available, AT&T’s Internet 50 plan has garnered significant attention. But, what is AT&T Internet 50? What are its specs? And is it good for customers in 2024?

That’s what we are going to find out in this blog. We will explore all the AT&T Interent 50 plan details and review its prices, additional costs, and more. So, let’s start.

As of 2024, the AT&T Internet 50 is probably not a good choice for home internet and users should opt for fiber optic plans.

What Is AT&T Internet 50?

Being the third largest internet provider in the country AT&T serves fixed residential internet services to 40.2% of the entire US population. To satisfy all the customers, AT&T offers a lot of internet options including fiber, DSL, and 5G.

The AT&T Internet 50 is an IPBB (high-speed DSL) plan. It is a mid-tier internet plan offering a maximum download speed of 50 Mbps. It works on AT&T’s IPBB infrastructure, which is a combination of DSL and Fiber connections. This enables the 50 Mbps plan to offer faster speeds and a more reliable connection to customers. However, since it is not pure fiber the speeds are asymmetric, which means that the download and upload speeds are not equal. 

How Fast Is AT&T 50 Mbps?

Well, as the name suggests the advertised download speed of the AT&T Internet 50 plans is 50 Mbps. The upload speed is 5 times less and the company claims to provide 10 Mbps upload speed for this plan. However, when it comes to the internet, there is a difference between actual and advertised speeds.

As per the official AT&T broadband performance data, the actual download and upload speeds of the Internet 50 Mbps plans are 59 Mbps and 12.9 Mbps respectively. This shows that the actual speeds are even better than the marketed speeds. 

Another important factor in measuring internet performance is latency more commonly called latency. The average latency provided by AT&T Internet 50 is around 23 milliseconds. For gaming and other online activities, a latency of 20-40 milliseconds is considered good. This means that the 50 Mbps plan falls under the ideal range.

Is Internet 50 Fast Enough?

Yes, 50 Mbps internet is reasonably fast. As per the previous definition of broadband internet provided by FCC, internet 50 passed the threshold by 2 times higher. For a family of 3-4 members or 5-7 devices, this speed can easily handle all types of activities like online gaming and streaming.

What Is The Price of AT&T Internet 50?

The price of AT&T Internet 50 is $60 per month. This is a bit higher when compared with other ISPs and other fiber internet plans of AT&T. So, in terms of price-to-speed ratio the 50 Mbps plan is at a downside. 

For comparison, the Internet 300 fiber plan of AT&T is available to customers at a monthly price of $55.00/mo. That is 6 times higher speed and the price is even 5 bucks less. 

How Much Is AT&T 50 Mbps Internet After 12 Months?

AT&T has a clear policy of increasing the price after 12 months. The company increases the price of all IPBB plans by 18% after the first year. So, after 12 months the already higher price of the 50 Mbpls plan increases to $70.8 per month. 

In contrast, the price for all AT&T fiber internet plans does not increase after the first 12 months. This makes fiber internet better than IPBB and the Internet 50 plan.

What Are The Additional Costs Associated With AT&T Internet 50?

In addition to the monthly service fee, there are several potential additional costs to be aware of:

Does AT&T’s 50 Mbps Home Internet Have Any Data Caps?

Yes, AT&T Internet 50 includes a data cap of 1 TB (terabyte) per month. This is a big drawback, however, for the majority of households, this data cap is more than sufficient. To put it into perspective, 1 TB allows for approximately 400 hours of HD streaming or 200 hours of 4K streaming per month. Households that engage in exceptionally high data usage, such as frequent large file downloads or uploads, should monitor their usage to avoid potential overage fees. If you are out of data before time and want more, then you will have to pay an additional $10 for every 50GB.  

Are There Any Contracts or Early Termination Fee With AT&T 50 Mbps Internet?

Unfortunately Yes. AT&T typically requires a one-year contract for their Internet 50 plan. If a customer needs to cancel the service before the contract term ends, an early termination fee (ETF) may apply. The ETF is usually calculated based on the remaining months in the contract and can range from $15 to $180. The following table gives a structured breakdown of AT&T’s early termination fee:

Is There Any Equipment Fee?

Yes, there is an additional equipment fee of $10 per month if you want Wi-Fi extenders for your home. However, the modem and router are provided for free and their cost is already included in your monthly bill. 

Do You Have To Pay Professional Installation Fee For 50 Mbps Internet Plan?

Yes, like all other AT&T plans, you will have to pay a one-time $99 professional installation fee. Professional installation is often recommended to ensure optimal performance of the AT&T Internet 50 service. People who want to save this extra cost can opt for the self-installation option. The company will provide you with the complete kit with devices and instructions. Moreover, you can also check out our AT&T self-installation guide for more information. 

AT&T Internet 50 Availability

Being one of the largest internet providers in the country AT&T has a huge customer base and wide coverage. As of 2024, the AT&T Internet 50 and other IPBB plans are available in 39 states across the country. In these 39 states, the Internet is available to 70.9% of the population. The following states have AT&T Internet 50 availability:

The following table lists down the top 10 cities for the AT&T 50 Mbps internet speed:

How Many Devices Can You Have On AT&T Internet 50 Mbps?

A 50 Mbps connection can comfortably support multiple devices simultaneously. For example, a household with 5-7 devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and gaming consoles, can expect decent performance. However, the actual number of devices that can be supported without significant slowdowns depends on the types of activities being performed on each device.

Is 50 Mbps Good For A Family?

For an average family, 50 Mbps is a practical choice. However, if you are more into online multiplayer gaming, and streaming or want to upload large files on routine, then it is better to opt for a fiber internet plan with speeds of at least 100 Mbps. 

Is 50 Mbps Good For Netflix?

Yes, a 50 Mbps connection is more than sufficient for streaming Netflix. According to Netflix, streaming HD content requires approximately 5 Mbps, while 4K content requires about 25 Mbps. Therefore, a 50 Mbps connection can easily handle multiple simultaneous streams in HD or a single 4K stream alongside other internet activities.

Is 50 Mbps Fast Enough For YouTube TV?

YouTube TV recommends a minimum speed of 3 Mbps for standard definition streaming and 13 Mbps for HD streaming. With 50 Mbps, users can comfortably stream multiple HD channels on YouTube TV simultaneously.

Final Verdict: Is AT&T Internet 50 A Good Choice In 2024?

AT&T Internet 50 offers a balanced mix of speed and reliability, making it a strong contender for residential users in 2024. It has good latency and coverage. However, from the price POV, it is not good. The plan has a high monthly cost when compared with fiber internet and also has additional costs that further increase the bill. So, in our opinion at GetInterentDeal, we recommend you choose a fiber-optic plan if it is available in your area. However, if fiber isn’t the option, then the Internet 50 isn’t a bad choice either.