AT&T vs. Xfinity Mobile: Which Carrier is Better?

AT&T is one of the three major wireless networks popular in the United States, and Xfinity Mobile is an MVNO on Verizon’s network that’s tied to Xfinity Internet, providing affordable plans with the caveat that you must already have their Internet service to take out a phone plan. In this article, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each carrier and put them head to head to see which brand comes out on top. 

In this article, we plan to discuss the ins and outs of both carriers and what they offer. We’ll also cover:

• What the coverage of both carriers looks like
• How do the prices of their plans compare to how much data you get
• The features each carrier offers for their plans 

Coverage & Reception

Xfinity Mobile operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), meaning it buys network access in bulk from major carriers—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—and resells it at lower prices. Specifically, Xfinity Mobile leverages Verizon's extensive network infrastructure to deliver its services.

Coverage and Reception: Verizon (Xfinity) vs. AT&T

When comparing Xfinity Mobile, which uses Verizon's network, with AT&T, both major carriers offer impressive nationwide coverage. However, their strengths can vary by region. AT&T tends to have superior coverage in some areas, while Verizon shines in others. It’s crucial to consult local coverage maps to determine which provider offers the best service in your specific area.

Data Prioritization and Network Congestion

A key difference between AT&T and Xfinity Mobile is data prioritization. During times of heavy network traffic, major carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon prioritize data access based on customer tiers:

• Tier 1 Data: This tier guarantees maximum data speeds at all times. Slowdowns occur only under extreme congestion, such as at large events where the network is heavily burdened.
• Tier 2 Data: Users in this tier maintain high speeds until the network becomes exceptionally busy. After MVNO customers' data is slowed, Tier 2 data may also experience slowdowns to ensure Tier 1 customers have priority.
• Tier 3 Data: MVNO customers fall into this category, making them the first to experience speed reductions during congestion. Xfinity Mobile users, therefore, often face slower speeds in busy areas compared to AT&T users.

Since AT&T offers plans with Tier 1 and Tier 2 data, its customers generally enjoy faster and more reliable speeds, especially in high-traffic situations. On the other hand, Xfinity Mobile’s reliance on Tier 3 data makes it more susceptible to slowdowns, particularly in metropolitan areas with dense populations.

For customers in major cities, the data deprioritization impact on Xfinity Mobile is more pronounced due to higher network congestion. Suburban and rural areas typically experience less congestion, so Xfinity Mobile may perform adequately in these regions.

AT&T, with its higher priority data tiers, provides a more consistent experience, making it a preferable choice for those needing reliable high-speed data, particularly in busy urban settings

Plan Options

AT&T offers various plans that provide unlimited data, while Xfinity offers a quartet of data plans with limited high-speed data. Along with high-speed data, both carriers offer unlimited talk and text along with various features and add-ons. First up, let’s talk about AT&T’s cell phone plans. 

AT&T Cell Phone Plans

AT&T offers three comprehensive unlimited plans, each tailored to different needs and price points. These plans feature a range of add-ons, high-speed data allowances, and significant multi-line savings, especially for accounts with two to five lines. If you bundle with friends or family, everyone can enjoy substantial savings on their cell phone service. Let's explore AT&T's cell phone plans:

1. AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan
2. AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
3. AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

Each of these plans provides unlimited high-speed data, with additional perks for the higher-tier options. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan

The Unlimited Starter plan includes:

• Unlimited high-speed data
• 5 GB of hotspot data
• AT&T's Active Armor cell phone security

Streaming on this plan is limited to standard definition when using mobile data. The cost for a single line is $65 per month, but it drops to $30 per month per line when you add up to five lines. This makes the Starter plan an excellent choice for families or groups looking to maximize savings.

AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan

The Unlimited Extra plan offers enhanced features:

• 75 GB of premium data, which remains high-speed even during most congestion, except in extreme cases like at large events.
• 30 GB of high-speed hotspot data, ideal for those who frequently use their laptops on the go.
• Standard definition streaming on mobile data

This plan is perfect for users who need a bit more data reliability and additional hotspot data, all while maintaining a reasonable cost.

AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

The top-tier Unlimited Premium plan provides:

• Unlimited premium data, ensuring no slowdowns even in congested conditions.
• 60 GB of high-speed hotspot data, catering to heavy data users.
• 4K UHD streaming for the best video quality on mobile data.

This plan is the most expensive and recommended for users who extensively use their phones and other devices while on the move. Its high-speed data and streaming capabilities make it ideal for those who need the best performance and flexibility.

Multi-Line Savings

One of the standout features of AT&T’s plans is the significant multi-line savings. Whether you’re looking at the Starter, Extra, or Premium plan, adding more lines reduces the cost per line, making these plans more valuable for larger groups. For instance, a single-line Unlimited Starter plan costs $65 per month, but with five lines, it drops to just $30 per month per line.

AT&T's cell phone plans offer a range of options to fit different needs and budgets. Whether you need basic unlimited data, a balance of premium data and hotspot allowance, or the best of everything with UHD streaming and extensive hotspot data, AT&T has a plan for you. Evaluate your data usage and budget to select the best plan, and consider multi-line savings if you’re opening an account with family or friends.

Xfinity Mobile Cell Phone Plans

Xfinity Mobile has two sets of cell phone plans in their store. All of them are viable, depending on how much data you want each month, with great savings coming from creating a multi-line account and with Xfinity’s internet bundle. Carriers like Tello Mobile and Visible Wireless, who don’t have any multi-line savings, are able to provide more affordable prices when compared to the maximum cost of Xfinity Mobile’s cell phone plans, but the multi-line savings from Xfinity Mobile is an excellent choice for if you have friends or family who are willing to open an account with you. Here are the main Xfinity Mobile plans:  

• Unlimited Intro — $45/30
• Unlimited Plus — $55/40
• Unlimited Premium — $65/50
• By the Gig — Varies

Xfinity’s plans are moderately pricey, but they come with a good amount of high-speed data. Intro has 20 GB per line, plus has 30, and premium has 50. Fifty GB of high-speed data is a lot each month! Even high-data users can work with 50 GBs without making many sacrifices and working to save data. Compared to AT&T, Xfinity Mobile is a cell phone plan that’s perfect for people who use data every day but don’t need truly unlimited data. The trio of plans at Xfinity opens up the opportunity for data-conscious individuals to enjoy low prices on their cell phone bill if they can limit their data consumption to 20 GB a month. One benefit of MVNOs versus Major Wireless Networks is that MVNOs often have multiple limited-data offerings, so if you are gradually lessening your data consumption you have the opportunity to save more. 

Their By the Gig plans are excellent for low-data users, as you can share 1 GB for $15, 3 GB for $30, or 10 GB for $60 a month. These prices are great for multi-line accounts where everyone is prepared to use mobile data next to no during the month. If you go over your data allocation on this plan, each additional GB costs $15, quickly eliminating any savings you may have received. 

As long as you are content with using less than 50 GB of high-speed data each month, opening an account with Xfinity Mobile is a great choice.

CON — Internet Account Required 

In order to open a mobile account with Xfinity, you must first have an Xfinity Internet account. Xfinity is an excellent Internet provider, but there is no flexibility if you use another provider. 

Major Wireless Network vs. MVNO

One of the biggest distinctions between AT&T and Xfinity Mobile is that AT&T is a major wireless network, while Xfinity Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). There are several key differences between these types of carriers, which significantly impact user experience. Let's delve into these differences.

Data Throttling and Data Deprioritization

Data deprioritization occurs when a network experiences heavy traffic and can't handle the current level of usage. This is a common occurrence, especially in densely populated areas and during large events. When the network is congested, MVNO customers like those on Xfinity Mobile are the first to experience slower speeds because they are on a lower priority tier compared to customers of major networks.

Certain plans from major wireless networks like AT&T provide a set amount of premium data each month. This premium data ensures high-speed performance without deprioritization until the data cap is reached. After this, even these customers may experience slower speeds, though they typically have a higher priority than MVNO users.

Data throttling is distinct from deprioritization and occurs when a customer on a limited data plan uses up their monthly data allowance. Once the data limit is exceeded, the speeds are significantly reduced for the rest of the billing cycle. Throttling is not influenced by network congestion and resets at the start of the next billing cycle when a new data allocation is provided.

Xfinity Mobile vs. AT&T: Impact on Data Speeds

As an MVNO, Xfinity Mobile’s data speeds are more variable compared to AT&T's. This is because Xfinity Mobile customers are subject to data deprioritization more frequently, particularly in high-traffic areas and during peak usage times. Essentially, when Verizon’s network (which Xfinity Mobile uses) becomes congested, the high-speed data for Xfinity Mobile customers is slowed down to ensure that Verizon's direct customers maintain optimal speeds.

Network Congestion: Urban vs. Rural

Urban Areas: Congestion issues are most prevalent in large cities such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Miami. These areas have high resident populations and significant commuter traffic, which can overwhelm network capacity. As a result, MVNO customers in these cities often experience reduced data speeds during peak times.

Rural Areas: In less populated cities and rural areas, predicting congestion is more challenging. However, these areas generally experience fewer congestion issues, making the performance of MVNOs like Xfinity Mobile more stable. Special events like festivals, concerts, and sporting events can still cause temporary congestion, impacting data speeds even in these regions.

AT&T's Advantage

AT&T, as a major network, offers plans that include either Tier 1 or Tier 2 data. This means their customers enjoy higher priority access to network resources and less frequent slowdowns compared to MVNO customers. AT&T’s plans typically come with unlimited high-speed data, eliminating the risk of throttling and reducing the chances of data deprioritization.

Customer Service 

AT&T has physical locations and robust online customer service offerings, while Xfinity Mobile only has online customer service. You can call AT&T’s customer service line on this number: 844-931-0552. You can also reach AT&T’s help pages following this link, which have answers to frequently asked questions, the option to chat, and more. 

For Xfinity Mobile, you can contact them here: (800) 746-4726 or access their help page here. 

The Verdict

The choice between a major network like AT&T and an MVNO like Xfinity Mobile depends largely on your data usage needs and your location:

• AT&T: Offers more consistent high-speed data and less frequent slowdowns due to higher data prioritization tiers. Ideal for users in urban areas or those who need reliable data performance.
• Xfinity Mobile: Provides cost-effective plans leveraging Verizon’s network, suitable for budget-conscious users who can tolerate occasional data speed fluctuations, particularly in less congested areas.

Understanding these differences will help you choose the carrier that best fits your lifestyle and data usage requirements.

We’d recommend checking your data usage before committing to a plan.

Want to compare other carriers?

Really.com helps users compare between features, coverage, price, reviews, and more!

Are you still unsure which carrier to choose or which phone plan to pick? Use really.com to compare your top choices and find the best deal to fit your needs. Really allows you to compare and sort between most phone plans on the market without the hassle!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I choose the right cell phone provider?

Choosing the right provider depends on several factors. Firstly, consider your location. Research the coverage maps of major providers in your area to determine which one offers the best coverage. Secondly, think about your budget and compare plan prices to find one that fits your financial constraints. Thirdly, assess your data usage, talk time, and text needs. Look for plans that offer enough data and other essential features. Additionally, consider customer reviews of service quality and customer support for each provider to gauge their reliability and customer satisfaction.

How can I choose the right cell phone plan?

To select the right plan, start by evaluating how much data, talk time, and text messaging you use each month. Look for plans that offer essential features like international roaming, hotspot data, and family plans. Then, compare different providers’ offerings to see which ones meet your needs and budget best.

Who does Xfinity use for mobile services?

Xfinity Mobile operates as an MVNO and uses Verizon's network for its mobile services. This partnership allows Xfinity to offer extensive coverage and reliable service. It’s always a good idea to check their website or contact customer service to confirm the current carrier they are partnered with, as it can vary.

Is AT&T faster than T-Mobile?

In many areas, AT&T and T-Mobile offer competitive speeds, but performance can vary based on location, network congestion, and the quality of service. Network performance can differ by region, and speed can fluctuate depending on how busy the network is. Factors such as the type of network technology used also play a role. To determine which provider offers faster speeds in your specific area, consult speed test data and coverage maps.