I agree with this plan, if AT&T is your only viable option here. Their privacy invasion pricing just seems to be trading too much for too little in return. And it sets a bad precedent if this stands unchallenged, teaching people that they must give up privacy simply to gain beyond broadband speeds that have been common for years elsewhere.

Speeds around 100mbit and above (including matching upstream) have the ability to change one's internet usage similar to the jump from dialup to broadband. It is worth the jump if you can justify it.

Netflix loads nearly instantly, seeks nearly instantly, and is full quality right away. It's close to what it feels like using a DVR. I have a NAS that lets me access my data anywhere at LAN like speeds. I use a cloud backup solution that holds close to 5TB,and the initial upload in the first few weeks had no impact to anything else I was doing. Working from home allows me a nice office like network connection when using VPN. I remember not even giving it a second thought when I transitioned a multi gigabyte VM off my laptop to a VSphere instance. If I had the gigabit tier, odds are my PS4 could download a new game quicker then Amazon Prime Now could deliver a disc.

For myself, I'm on an ISP that offers 2 speeds, 100 or 1000mbit symmetrical. $60 or $80 a month. (and that's exactly $60, not $60 + tax1 + tax2 + tax3 + fee1 + fee2 like most other ISPs). The only thing they monitor is the traffic at their transit points, as an indicator of when upgrades will be needed. The network they run had 60gbit dedicated connection to Netflix a few years ago, it's grown since.

Even better, there is momentum building for Seattle to operate a publicly owned gigabit capable network. The studies done show that the buildout cost would be covered just fine with a ~$70 a month access charge. And this includes enough redundancy in the buildout to avoid some of the crippling outages both Comcast and Centurylink have had over the past year. I'm hoping to see this spread to more areas, as the FCC has quashed the laws the telecoms helped pass that blocked municipal networks in many areas.