Why do I have a data allowance for my internet plan from AT&T? This program is designed to help keep internet service affordable for most of the people who use our internet service, given the rapidly increasing volume of data-rich internet traffic.
We want to help keep internet service affordable for our broad base of users. This is especially true as the volume of data-rich internet traffic grows every day.
What do you mean by data usage?Usage includes all the data you receive (download) or send (upload). That applies no matter how you access the internet. It might be through your home network, wired connection, or Wi-Fi, using any device (including smartphones.
This includes activities like software updates, email notifications, and social media posts. Individual usage results may vary based on the applications you use and the content you access. For example, if your emails have large attachments, the usage for that application may exceed what we have estimated in the data calculator.
If you have DSL, we may not always be able to measure your data use due to system limitations. In that case, you won’t be able to use the data tracker to see how much data you’re using. Don’t worry though, if this happens, AT&T won’t charge you for data you use over your limit.
Learn how to
check your internet data use.
Find out how to estimate how much data you’ll use in the future with the
Internet Data Calculator.
What is a gigabyte?A gigabyte measures how much data you send and receive over the network – not the how long you’re connected to the internet. A gigabyte (GB) is 1,073,741,824 bytes, 1,048,576 kilobytes, or 1024 megabytes.
Approximately 50,000 single-page emails without attachments, for example, would equal about 1GB. Watching an 80-minute movie in standard definition or about 20 minutes of a TV show or movie in high-definition each equals about 1GB.
What are the data allowances?Home internet data allowances include:
- 150GB per month for DSL.1
- 350GB per month for Fixed Wireless Internet.
Have AT&T Internet
SM? You get:
- 1 terabyte (TB) per month: If you have internet speed tiers up to and including 768 kilobits per second (Kbps) through 300 megabits per second (Mbps).
- Unlimited data: If you have an Internet 1000 or Internet 5002
speed tier plan and any one of these:- A combined bill for AT&T Internet and DIRECTV® or U-verse® TV
- AT&T TVSM with an AT&T Internet plan
- The unlimited data usage allowance option for $30 month
How can I find my current internet speed tier or plan name? Your internet speed tier and plan name can be found by signing into myAT&T from your computer or mobile device.
- Sign in to myAT&T.
- Find and select one of the following to see your internet speed tier:
- My Internet
- My DSL Internet
Will I go over my data limit if I spend a lot of time on the internet?The types of activities performed matter more than the time spent online. For example, data-rich activities like streaming video may use more data than sending emails.
What can I do within my data allowance each month? First, find your data allowance in the following table. Then, read down the column to find out how that number translates into monthly activities.
Usage comparisons for all data allowances or internet speed plans |
Activity | 150GB | 250GB | 1TB |
Web browsing | 10,000+ pages | 10,000+ pages | 10,000+ pages |
Email | 10,000+ emails | 10,000+ emails | 10,000+ emails |
Social media | 10,000+ image downloads/uploads | 10,000+ image downloads/uploads | 10,000+ image downloads/uploads |
Music | 1000+ MP3 song downloads | 1000+ MP3 song downloads | 1000+ MP3 song downloads |
YouTube | 1000+ standard videos | 1000+ standard videos | 1000+ standard videos |
TV & movies | 75 hours SD TV and 90 SD or 25 HD movies | 75 hours SD TV and 100 SD or 35 HD movies | 400 hours SD TV and 720 SD or 200 HD movies |
Does using Wi-Fi count as usage? If you access your home internet over your Wi-Fi
® home network using any type of device (including smartphones and some home automation equipment), that counts as AT&T Internet data usage. However, if you access the internet via a public or commercial Wi-Fi hotspot, that access doesn’t count as usage.
Can anyone who doesn’t live in my home affect my bandwidth usage? That depends. Our Wi-Fi gateways are secured. If you have some other gateway or router and haven’t secured it, someone nearby with a computer or other Wi-Fi-enabled device could access your home network, use your high-speed internet, and increase your usage. Common encryption protocols, such as Wireless Encryption Protocol (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), can provide additional security. Learn how to secure your AT&T-provided devices. Others can check their manufacturer's support website for help in securing their Wi-Fi gateway.
Will AT&T MicroCell wireless use count against my monthly data allowance?No, your AT&T Internet data usage allowance doesn’t include AT&T MicroCell wireless traffic. To ensure accurate billing, be sure to sign up your AT&T MicroCell account and residential AT&T Internet account at
www.att.com/internet-usage-MicroCell. If you have Fixed Wireless Internet or internet service with another provider, you don’t have to register your account. MicroCell usage will count against your monthly usage allowance.
Does using wireless TV receivers count against my monthly data allowance?No – watching standard video through a wireless U-verse TV or DIRECTV receiver connected to your Wi-Fi gateway doesn’t count as data use. Pay-per-view video, software updates, and DVR schedule data count as data usage.
If you subscribe to both services and pay for them on one bill, you’ll get unlimited home internet data. To combine bills at no additional cost, just go to
att.com/CombineMyBills (Unlimited internet data is not available to DSL or Fixed Wireless Internet customers.)
Will using AT&T applications count against my data allowance?
Yes, using some TV, mobile, tablet, and wearable applications may use a small amount of data. Here’s a partial list of U-verse TV and AT&T applications that use the internet and can impact usage when connected to your AT&T home network:
U-verse TV and AT&T applications that use the internet |
U-verse TV apps | iHeart Radio, U-verse Social, Food Network, Home Shopping Network, Interactive Workout, Karaoke TV app, Masters, Olympics, Santa Tracker, Stingray Music, Tumblebooks, TV Everywhere, U-verse Games, U-verse app for iOS, Android, or Amazon devices, Weather on Demand, What’s Trending. |
U-verse TV mobile, tablet, and wearable app | U-verse app for iOS, Android or Amazon devices. |
AT&T apps and facilities | myAT&T, Smart Home Manager, Digital Life, U-verse TV Poster Art. |
What DIRECTV features count against my data allowance?- Pay Per View
- OnDemand
- 4K programming
Will streaming DIRECTV on my devices over my home Wi-Fi count against my data allowance? If you stream DIRECTV on your mobile device over your home internet service Wi-Fi connection, usage will count against your home internet monthly data allowance.
Does using AT&T TV NOW count against my data allowance?AT&T TV NOW is an over-the-top streaming service. All streaming over your home internet, wired or Wi-Fi, counts against your home internet monthly allowance.
Will using SamKnows count against my data allowance? If you’re part of the SamKnows/FCC program, running speed tests may impact your usage.
Plus, other speed test sites may impact how much home internet data you use.