AT&T DSL Elite vs. NetZero for Speed

The DSL Elite plan is the fastest available plan offered by AT&T;'s High Speed Internet service. It makes up the last plan in the four DSL plans availabe from this service. Subscribers to DSL Elite get download speeds up to 6 Mbps and upload speeds up tp 768 Kbps. As of June 2011, AT&T; offers this plan at an intoductory rate of $20 per month for the first year. The regular price is $43 per month.

You may also be considering the DSL plans offered through NetZero. NetZero provides DSL Internet in three plans. As of June 2011, DSL Saver, the slowest available plan, gets download speeds up to 768 Kbps and costs $10 for the first six months, and then $23 thereafter. For $32 per month, the DSL Pro 50X plan offers download rates up to 3 Mbps. The third offered plan is both their fastest and most expensive: DSL Ultra 115X provides download rates up to 7.1 Mbps for $45 per month.

The two important factors you must consider when comparing these two providers are speed and price. If speed alone is taken into account, then NetZero wins. Their fastest service beats AT&T;'s Elite level by 1.1 Mbps. However, price must also be taken into account. While NetZero is faster, that service, as of June 2011 costs $25 more per month. The only pricepoint offered by NetZero comparable to AT&T;'s is NetZero's slowest, and it still charges $3 more for considerably less speed.

Speed and the price that you pay for that speed aren't your only considerations when comparing these two services. Both services include a modem in their price; however, AT&T; provides a wireless gateway where NetZero doesn't. AT&T; also provides extra like access to wireless hotspots around the country. Both services offer anti-virus protection, with AT&T;'s based on McAfee software and NetZero's based on Norton software. Both services also include dial-up access for cases when you can't access the broadband connection.