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HurbiesKaltok's profile

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4 Messages

Friday, February 17th, 2023 6:36 AM

AT&T Fiber vs Xfinity?

 Is AT&T Fiber locally more reliable than Xfinity? How many outages per year? What about customer service, weird billing issues, etc? Can I probably use the same modem I already own?

ACE - Guru

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9.9K Messages

1 year ago

Last question first....if by modem you mean the actual device that connected directly to the Xfinity cable, then no.  If it's a third party router that you connected to the Xfinitly box, then yes.

As for your first two questions, those are questions that can't be answered without data that AT&T would ever hand out. We all like to think fiber is more reliable and maybe it is over a very long period of time because of the materials involved. 

As far as Customer "Service", there's no question.....the winner is.....neither.  They are both what happens when you think servicing your customer is a giant money pit with no positive cash return. 

All that said, I had Comcast for 4 years and had zero issues so I didn't have to deal with their crappy "support".  I've now had AT&T Fiber for more than 4 yrs and again, zero issues.  So it really doesn't matter if "support" is crappy if you never have to talk with them.  😁

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

1 year ago

I agree with all that @tonydi  said. I currently have Xfinity cable and use my own modem and router. Connections have been fast and reliable with very few extended outages (> 2 hours) in the last 5 years we've had it. When I've had to call Support, after jumping thru all the hoops that all Support has you do, a truck roll was ordered and they were here in a couple of days and resolved the issue. I always receive a $10 or $20 credit from my troubles. Most, if not all, of the issues we've had with Xfinity has been the HDTV side, not the internet side. My only real complaint with Xfinity was the cost but after comparing our total "entertainment" package to other Xfinity users around the country, we have a pretty good deal, so far.

There are horror stories with all ISPs so you just pick whichever one you think will offer you the service you need at the best price and go with it.

Former Employee

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22.2K Messages

1 year ago

Forget the connection is fiber, it is wiring…

The question is what are some common causes that can affect wiring regardless of type or provider…

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, high winds, storms, icing, lightning strikes, fires, extreme cold (fiber becomes brittle, ends can snap)

Animals such as squirrels, rabbits, deer, dogs, cats, mice, ants, wasps

Man made such as bombings, fires, digging, construction activities, pulled or damaged connections

Any providers service can be affected by the above possible causes… some in very limited capacity while others could result in large outages.

The question is how long can you be without service, ATT fiber RESIDENTIAL is ENTERTAINMENT, meaning 3 to 7 days for repairs could be normal while large outage could be weeks or months depending on the cause and resources availability.

If your in a situation needing maximum uptime for Internet, have a redundant ISP… in other words use both ATT Fiber and your local cable provider or hotspot (cellular) or even possible satellite internet depending on options available to you.

edit… over 99% reliable…

7 million fiber accounts currently at 99% means at any given time 70,000 accounts could be without service or have a problem.

Reminds me of an old mechanical cash register poster saw decades ago….

your register has over 3000 parts, at 99.9% means there are still 3 things wrong with it. 

(edited)

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