DSL Service Providers

4G - An Affordable New Wireless Solution Available Now

2010-06-20T02:31:00.000-04:00

Wireless seems to be all the rage these days. Most phone usage comes in the form of wireless cell phones. Most people like to have wireless networks at home. Internet connections are also starting to make the switch over to wireless. Previously, they could not keep up with wired connections in terms of transfer rates and even convenience. Now wireless internet solutions perform fast enough to be considered a broadband connection and are more versatile than the other options.

There are two main forms of such internet currently available: satellite internet and 4G internet. Satellite internet has been around for a little while and offers competitive rates and high speed service. Their target audience is mostly people that live outside the coverage area of cable and DSL. While satellite internet is offered almost everywhere, 4G on the other hand is currently only offered in some lucky cities. Naturally, it replaces the older 3G infrastructure that proved to be reliable but not quite fast enough for broadband usage. The new infrastructure is fast, reliable, and affordable.

It doesn't just stop there though. There is a feature that you can use that isn't offered by anyone else. A subscriber has the option of using a USB modem to connect to the internet. No longer do you have to connect solely with a regular modem like cable and DSL. The implications of this technology are astounding and are really what make this kind of connection such a good deal. Think about it for a moment. You will be able to access the internet from anywhere in the coverage area, and even if the connection is spotty it will often to revert to the slower but more widespread 3G network. Regardless, you can take your little USB modem and portable computing device anywhere in the city and have high speed broadband internet access. That means you can stream a high definition movie to your computer while relaxing at the park. You can refresh your knowledge of the previous lecture's material on the bus ride to school. You can video conference with friends and family as you're on the way to their house, breaking communication only when you want to. You can look up new restaurants while you're out and about with your friends. You can find a scenic spot anywhere in the city and read the news online. And the list goes on and on. You'll surely come up with new ways of using your connection.

Best of all is it's affordable. As if the feature set wasn't enough, 4G internet is priced about the same as cable and DSL. In fact, it might even be a bit cheaper because when you sign for it you won't have to pay any additional costs. The same can't be said of cable and DSL. They often make you sign up for cable TV and phone line service, respectively, before they start offering the good rates on internet. 4G doesn't do that because it only offers internet service. All this may sound too good to be true, but it's not. It's available now and very likely in your city.

Maybe it's time to see why wireless internet is the wave of the future. If you want to get connected to this affordable service, consider signing up for clear internet.

Internet Provider and Access Comparison

2009-07-31T19:10:00.002-04:00

With so many options of Internet to choose of, including the several ranks of prices for the Internet of high speed, let's analyze the diverse types of broadband solutions.

DSL

The DSL is a technology that offers the transmission on the wires of a network of local telephone. The DSL can be used in the same line that its service of telephone. The speeds of the DSL can extend from 128 Kbps to 3 Mbps and are slower than the access of the broadband of the cable. With 30 million subscribers on a national scale, the DSL is only second to send a cable in reach of the service of Internet.

Cable Internet

Internet from cable is a service provided by its company of local cable television. The suppliers will normally offer the packages that include the telephone, the Internet and the TV to make it easy so that the consumer rolls the packages that offer a type of discount. The access of Internet of the cable is also more expensive than a connection of the more reliable DSL. Comcast based in Chicago is the greater borrower of services of cable of the United States.

Internet Satellite

Satellite access of Internet based on satellites is generally its option past if a customer is needing a connection high speed. The clients will request the satellite generally if they reside in a remote area or don't have access to the services of the broadband of the DSL or cable. Another reason of less trustworthiness is that sudden inclement time can fall its connection to Internet by a period of extended time until the time clarifies.

The best way to find the best supplier of Internet for its needs in a good price is to make purchases around. The suppliers of services of the Internet of the DSL, the satellite and the cable are competing for their business, so they gain it!

Broadband users still not get advertised speed

2009-07-27T20:31:00.002-04:00

BBC has a story out today regarding a large survey done by telecoms regulator Ofcom.
In the survey nearly one quarter of UK broadband users on an 8 Megabit per second
(Mbps) connection actually receive less than 2 Mbps, it concluded.

The research study showed that less than 9% of high speed users received more than 6 Mbps.

You can read this story here

Broadband coverage map

2009-07-13T21:04:00.002-04:00

DSLone.net has changed their coverage page title to "Broadband". In a way to help visitors find high-speed internet in their respective state, www.dslone.net/coverage.php has made it easier to navigate your way to cheap prices for broadband service.

Now providing internet quotes in every state except Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico, finding your best deal for dsl, satellite or cable is as easy as filling out the short form. Within seconds you will receive a comparison in your area of providers who offer service to your home.

DSLone.net which has been around since 2005 is also looking for any suggestions to improve your experience when visiting the website. Please visit the contact page and offer any ideas you may have.

AT&T reports 10.5 million Wi-Fi connections so far this year

2009-04-23T22:49:00.000-04:00

AT&T says users connected to its Wi-Fi hot spots 10.5 million times in the first quarter of 2009, more than triple the number of times its users connected to Wi-Fi hot spots in Q1 2008.

AT&T attributes the large increase in demand to two factors: the proliferation of Wi-Fi capable devices and the expansion of the company’s Wi-Fi footprint. On the device side of things, AT&T has expanded its roster of popular Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, such as the iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Bold, which accounted for more than 4 million connections to the company’s hot spots. The company is also offering complimentary access to any of its Wi-Fi hot spots to any user who signs up for qualifying broadband or 3G wireless plans, meaning that the number of AT&T customers with access to Wi-Fi has grown significantly.

In terms of Wi-Fi hot spots, the company aggressively expanded its Wi-Fi footprint last year when it began deploying its Wi-Fi services to 7,000 Starbucks locations nationwide. AT&T also broadened the scope of its Wi-Fi business last year by purchasing Wayport, a network and applications management company that provides back-office management for Wi-Fi hot spots. In total, the Wayport acquisition and the Starbucks deal helped the company branched out its Wi-Fi footprint to roughly 20,000 locations in the United States and more than 80,000 locations around the world.

AT&T could see even more users connect to its hot spots if Apple adds the low-power 802.11n Wi-Fi standard to its iPod Touch and iPhone 3G devices. In addition to saving battery power when connecting to the Web, the 802.11n standard would also increase devices’ performance over Wi-Fi networks, as it supports dual bands and provides download speeds in the 30Mbps to 50Mbps range.

SOURCE

DSL providers who provide the best service

2009-01-07T20:58:00.002-05:00

I still prefer cable internet service over DSL but here it is.

My top 5 list of companies who provide the best dsl service:

1- Verizon - Back on top as Verizon is offering faster speeds.

2- Qwest - Reliable and very cheap prices, you can't go wrong with Qwest.

3- AT&T - Multiple packages and affordable pricing for the best of DSL Providers.

4- Bellsouth has fast access dsl and lot's of offers to choose from.

5- Earthlink - With price starting at $12.95 a month can you say cheap?

If you can't get cable or dsl, theirs always satellite internet!

NY Giants going to Superbowl

2008-01-20T23:39:00.000-05:00

I want to congratulate the New York Giants for their win over the Green bay Packers. This post is obviously off topic, but I want to give Tom Coughlin, Eli Manning and the rest of the G-MEN a big thumbs up for a great win! Tom Brady and the rest of the New England Patriots is "all" that stands in the way from a Super bowl championship. This will not be easy!

The most watched television program of the year will be played in 2 weeks on February 3rd. The game is watched all over the world in over 40 countries. Some will also watch the game over the Internet on the NFL Network. So make sure your DSL Service, wireless or broadband connection is working so you don't miss what should be an exciting game!

Where is broadband or dsl available?

2008-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

DSL such as provided by Verizon may be available in one state or county and not the other. For example Qwest High-Speed Internet may be offered in cook county, Illinois and not in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The same goes for Satellite Internet and Cable Broadband services. There is a website that has made it easy to compare broadband providers in your location, search for availability and compare prices for Internet and choose the best deal. Not only does it save you money but it also gives you the opportunity to make the right selection. You can go to http://www.dslone.net and check for yourself.

If your located in these counties you can go directly to the page or use the homepage!

Miami Dade DSL | Cook County Broadband | Los Angeles Internet Service | Harris County DSL Internet | Broadband Queens

Dslreports has forums for many providers such as Verizon, Time Warner, Qwest, Earthlink and more. You can check them out as well and discuss any questions you may have

Biggest broadband provider is?

2008-01-05T23:22:00.000-05:00

Comcast is the largest provider of cable internet service in the united states. The company is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has over 24 million customers including television cable service.

Verizon, known for their dsl service has been making alot of noise lately with the popular fios internet. The service is not available in many locations as of yet but they are hoping to grow this product which stands for "fiber optic service" dramatically over the next several years.

Hughes Offers New Lower Pricing Making HughesNet High-Speed Internet Service More Affordable than Ever

2007-08-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

Effective immediately, consumers and small businesses who are located beyond the reach of DSL or cable, now can receive a fast broadband connection by using satellite technology. HughesNet(R), the number one high-speed Internet satellite service, has just introduced new promotional plans with no upfront fees for equipment or installation. Additionally, through September 30th, new subscribers will be eligible for a $100.00 mail-in rebate. These new plans make HughesNet broadband satellite Internet service more affordable than ever, enabling consumers in underserved areas to enjoy always-on broadband connections.

Hughes estimates that between 15 and 20 million households in the US are not reached by terrestrial broadband such as cable and DSL. For these consumers, satellite broadband is an ideal solution.

"With our competitive prices and speeds, HughesNet is the perfect solution for rural home or business users. Whether it's for schoolwork, a small home office or a farm, we offer every customer unable to get DSL or cable an affordable solution that meets their broadband needs," said Peter Gulla, vice president of marketing for North America at Hughes.

Two payment options are available. With the Upfront Purchase Plan, equipment and standard installation are only $299.99 after the $100 mail-in rebate with monthly fees starting at $59.99. With Option 2-the Promotional Plan-there is no upfront fee and one is eligible for the $100 mail-in rebate, with monthly fees starting at $79.99. Both payment options include equipment and standard installation and require a 24-month service commitment.

HughesNet is available anywhere to anyone who has an unobstructed view of the southern sky. In fact, more than 350,000 consumers and small businesses already use HughesNet satellite broadband for Internet connectivity. It is not dependent on the phone or cable companies rolling out broadband access lines to hard-to-reach or remote areas.

To take advantage of the new purchase plans, visit www.gethughesnet.com. Across the country, Hughes has more than 1,000 independent dealers capable of quickly and efficiently installing HughesNet. HughesNet is also available in more than 7,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, RadioShack and 20 top online sellers.

About Hughes Network Systems

Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers. HughesNet encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Hughes has shipped more than 1.2 million systems to customers in over 100 countries. Its broadband satellite products are based on the IPoS (IP over Satellite) global standard, approved by the TIA, ETSI, and ITU standards organizations.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. . For additional information, please visit www.hughes.com.

Hughes Network Systems, LLC. Hughes and HughesNet are registered trademarks of Hughes Network Systems, LLC.

Cheap broadband? Try south-east Asia

2007-04-28T20:02:00.000-04:00

Newly published research from Point Topic says south-east Asia is the cheapest region in the world for broadband. The average monthly DSL rental price is just US$19 and that's less than half the cost of such connectivity in the rest of the Asia Pacific area and well below the price of broadband access everywhere else on earth as well.

Point Topic says the low price of broadband is mainly the result of what the company calls the "rather slow connection speed" of the DSL service offered by China Telecom. The average download speed in the south-east Asia region (and that includes the People's Republic of China) is 1,761kbps compared to the 7,738kbps for the greater Asia Pacific region overall.

Point Topic also found that western Europe and North America are close in terms of pricing. The average DSL service charge in Western Europe is $49.3 with a download speed of 4,172kbps, while the cost in North America is $48. The average price in eastern Europe is $39.8 for residential DSL services, that's about 19.2 per cent cheaper than the average charge in western Europe - but connectivity speed in eastern Europe is half of what it is in the west.

Looking elsewhere the report says, "With a relatively young and monopolistic market, where services are primarily being provided by the state-owned incumbents, the Latin and South American market has a relatively high service rental of $65.6 per month. Furthermore, due the under-developed broadband infrastructures, the average download speed of the service is much slower in Latin America than in any other region."

Then turning its attention to cable services, Point Topic reports that, "For cable modem services, the south-east Asia region has the cheapest residential cable modem service, priced at $15.8 per month."

Residential tariffs vary according to the speed of services and they can range from 192kbps to 2Mbps. The average downstream rate though is 656bps for residential grades and 480bps for business grades.

In summation Point Topic claims, "As a region leading FTTx deployment, the Asia Pacific has one of the lowest average price for residential FTTx services, priced at $37.8 and with download speeds of up to 100Mbps. Although eastern Europe has a still cheaper average price of $30.8 the services are primarily fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) where multiple users share a single fibre link. As a result the average service is slower at somewhere in the region of 40Mps."

Many things can put a kink in DSL service

2007-03-06T22:57:00.000-05:00

My Internet service goes out more often than my stepdaughter.

Both my DSL and voice telephone service arrive at my home over the same wire. But that's where the two part company. While my telephone service almost never fails, the DSL connection is a sometimes thing.

Don't feel cocky if you have cable. Before I had DSL, I used a cable modem, and it also went out on a regular basis.

There's no way your Internet service - at least for the immediate future - will be as dependable as your telephone. But I can help you ease many of the problems you are almost certain to encounter.

One problem I often see with both computers and networks is the devastation caused by fixing something that isn't broken. So keep in mind that your connection can slow down for all sorts of reasons beyond your control.

For instance, just as on Interstate 85, traffic can jam things up at a Web site. Too many people logging onto a site can bring speed to a crawl or put it out of business temporarily.

Your Internet provider also can have problems. If you go to the main Web page for your provider, you'll usually see a link to a page that offers reports on any network problems. Keep in mind that some problems hit only part of your service. For instance, an e-mail server at your provider can have problems even though the Web part is just fine.

You'll also find a telephone number to call if problems persist. The help you'll get depends on the provider. In some lucky cases, you'll get help tracing the problem - even if it's in your own system. But at other providers, you won't even get sympathy. If that's the case with your provider, it may be time to take your business elsewhere.

To make things even more complicated, the Internet itself can slow down. If you'd like to check that, just head to www.InternetTrafficReport.com/ to get a traffic report. High traffic or equipment problems at one of the main server locations can slow down things for everyone.

But there are times when the problem is in your house, and there's a trick for that.

It's way too simple to seem like a big deal. But using it can restore Internet service more than half the time. It should be your first move when your computer can't connect using either DSL or cable.
All Durango Area Real Estate Listings

Simply turn the modem off. Let it sit that way for a few moments and then turn it on again. You'll be pleased at how often that works. Here's why: Your modem must be in sync with the modems at your Internet provider. Restarting the modem requires it to establish that synchronization. The nice thing about this fix is that, even if the problem isn't at your home, it does no harm at worst and can be a lifesaver at best.

Some problems aren't as obvious or as simple to fix.

Last week, for instance, my connection slowed to a crawl. I ignored the problem, figuring that it was a temporary glitch on my DSL provider's end.

But things got worse, and finally my computer couldn't connect at all. I tried unplugging the ethernet connectors both at my computer and at the router, thinking they might not be seated correctly. That didn't help.

So I traced the cable along the wall to the router and noticed that it had developed a kink. Since I often make changes in hardware and move the desks around to do it, I probably created the kink when I pulled the desk away from the wall to get working room.

Keep in mind that this wasn't a visible break in the cable, just a sharp bend. A bend like that can break one of the tiny wires inside the cable. But even when a wire isn't broken, a sharp bend can still create enough interference between the wires to slow or stop a connection. Replacing the cable fixed the problem.

But since I have a beagle that considers cables a chew toy, I also used wiring molding to cover the cable for most of its run. Besides protecting it from the dog, the portion of cable that is covered will never kink.

Source: durangoherald.com

Verizon pushing to expand DSL

2007-02-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

Verizon is looking to expand its high-speed Internet service by adding an equipment cabinet and digital subscriber line (DSL) equipment to an existing installation on Houghton Street, near St. John the Baptist Church.

350 new lines

If the company's plans be approved, about 350 new lines would be able to use DSL services, according to Verizon spokewoman Beth Fastiggi.

"We likely won't start construction until after spring begins," Fastiggi said. "We're looking at a 2007 timeline to get the service operational."

"Although we don't want to promise anything we can't deliver, we hope to have service available by the end of summer," Fastiggi said. "We need to do a lot of testing (beforehand) to make sure it will work."

Fastiggi said the new service would primarily be available north of the Houghton Street location.

Fastiggi said the company is in the midst of a huge DSL expansion across the state of Vermont.

"We have an agreement, as part of a regulatory plan, to meet with certain milestones," Fastiggi said. "We worked very hard last year to get our number up to 60 percent of phone lines (with DSL

continued

AT&T to offer $20 'naked' DSL service

2007-02-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

Cheaper high-speed Internet service is coming.

Within a few months, AT&T is expected to start charging $19.95 a month for "naked" DSL, meaning you don't have to buy any other AT&T (T) service, including phone, to get that rate. It currently charges $45 for a stand-alone broadband subscription.

AT&T also is developing $10 DSL for new subscribers who also buy AT&T-branded phone service.

AT&T plans to offer both services for at least 30 months. The clock starts as soon as the media giant starts selling them in any of the 22 states where it is the incumbent local phone company, including California, Florida, Illinois and Texas.

Why so cheap? Three words: Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC, which has broad regulatory control over the U.S. telecommunications industry, recently approved AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. To get needed votes from the FCC's two Democratic members, AT&T agreed, reluctantly, to offer these DSL bargains.

AT&T is required to roll out the $19.95 offer within one year and the $10 rate within six months. Gene Kimmelman, public policy director of Consumers Union, says he expects AT&T to move faster.

Under the terms of the FCC agreement, AT&T is required to offer naked DSL for $19.95 in markets that are at least 80% upgraded for broadband. That describes many of AT&T's biggest markets, says Kimmelman, who helped negotiate the settlement.

Under the deal, AT&T's cheap DSL products will clock in at 768 kilobits per second. While that's slower than the 1.5 to 3 megabits popular with many U.S. consumers, "it's more than good enough" for Internet telephony, Kimmelman says.

As such, he thinks the twin offers could help spur sales of Internet telephony across the USA. "This opens the door for consumers" to pick other local and long-distance providers," Kimmelman says.

For years, Kimmelman notes, consumers had to pay double, essentially, if they wanted to buy a high-speed broadband connection from one carrier and phone service from another. He says that let phone companies such as AT&T push broadband sales while preserving their core phone business, which still accounts for the bulk of profit.

While AT&T, for example, charges $45 for naked DSL, it sells a bundle that includes phone and DSL for just $28 a month.

Cable TV companies do the same thing. If purchased separately, Time Warner charges $45 a month for its high-speed cable modem service and $49.95 for digital phone. A bundle of both — plus TV service — costs $99.

Comcast's service is among the priciest: It charges almost $58 a month for stand-alone broadband.

Kimmelman, for one, thinks AT&T's new DSL pricing will help "discipline" broadband pricing. Once AT&T's $19.95 rate for naked DSL is broadly available, other broadband providers, including cable, "will be hard-pressed to keep hiding behind a higher price."

source: usatoday.com

DSL Rules Broadband For Now

2007-01-17T00:16:00.000-05:00

By far, the most widely used broadband technology to access the Internet around the world today is DSL. Over 70% of broadband connections in Japan and Korea are DSL, while penetration in Europe is approximately 60%.

In the U.S., cable TV companies dominate broadband. But DSL isn't far behind, with about 46% of total connections. In fact, DSL growth is estimated at 15% to 20% annually, so it's expected to pass cable TV sometime this year as the dominant broadband technology in the U.S.

That says a lot, considering DSL uses the century-old #26 AWG twisted pair of the plain-old telephone system (POTS). Nevertheless, DSL is alive and well. In fact, it's expected not only to continue its growth in the U.S., but to become even better to meet the telcos' triple-play plans.

While growth figures for DSL are attractive, they don't tell the whole story. The Government Accountability Office report last year indicated that only 58% of U.S. households had any sort of Internet access, with 30% using dialup and 28% using broadband (cable, DSL, satellite). Another study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project showed that 42% of U.S. citizens have access to a broadband connection, the majority of whom reside in cities and the suburbs.

Rural areas are really underserved, with only an estimated 25% having any kind of high-speed Internet connection. (Yet AT&T and Verizon—the two largest DSL providers—claim to offer DSL service to 80% of their subscribers). This shortage won't be easily resolved, as the telcos and cable TV companies usually don't think it's profitable to provision so few customers in such remote areas.

Together, these factors leave a huge opening for some reasonably priced satellite technology or other wireless option. Satellite broadband connections are already available in some areas where satellite TV service is available. But the opportunity is a reality for DSL providers because the wiring is there. All they need to do is enable the service.

Flavors Of DSL
All DSL systems are based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), which divides the high-speed bit stream into many slower parallel streams and modulates each on adjacent carriers. The telcos refer to OFDM (also known as multicarrier modulation) as discrete multitone or DMT. Several versions are being implemented, and ADSL is the most widely used by far.

A Fresh Example
Texas Instruments' UR8 residential gateway architecture chip set exemplifies the latest trends and features based on DSL (see the figure). Designed for home gateway boxes, the chips cover all the latest DSL offerings, including the newest VDSL2 standard.

Also, these chips feature a multimedia gateway processor, a programmable DSL physical layer (PHY), a high-performance DSP-based voice subsystem, and a rich set of local-area network (LAN) interfaces. A well-defined application program interface (API) reduces time-to-market by allowing hardware and software reuse across all DSL platforms.

This chip set lets residential gateway designers handle Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), as well as multiple methods for distributing broadband services within the home. Some of the home networking technologies supported include Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and standards offered by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), and the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA).

No one knows which home networking technology will dominate in the future. Most homes with a network rely on Wi-Fi because of the conveniences of wireless. But will existing or even future wireless technologies have the bandwidth to support the triple play of high-speed data, VoIP, and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and video on demand (VOD)? That remains to be seen.

While IEEE 802.11g Wi-Fi systems seem to have the potential, current access points have limitations because walls, ceilings, and other obstructions shorten range and create dead zones. High attenuation and multipath cause speed to back off dramatically for a reliable connection, making video transport more iffy.

That's why so many vendors are joining with the MoCA and HomePNA crowd to support wired technologies that will virtually guarantee quality video transmission. Some new wireless systems such as the 802.11n upgrade and TZero's version of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) may do the job. In any case, expect multiple home networking methods in the mix. Whatever works the best for the least money will win.

Continued

Naked DSL service? It's coming to AT&T customers

2007-01-05T02:26:00.000-05:00

A couple of notables for the web worker out of last Friday’s finalized merger of AT&T and BellSouth. First, it’s the beginning of the end of the orange splat as we know it, as the new AT&T promises to rebrand Cingular (and Yellowpages.com) under their umbrella. This rebranding will start early this year, according to the company.

Also included is an agreement by the new company to offer a naked DSL package that does not require any landline phone service. AT&T joins other DSL/phone providers like Qwest and Verizon in offering naked DSL, but AT&T’s version promises to be more widely available. And it’s cheaper…$19.95 per month for 768Kbps service. Not super-speedy by any stretch, but accessible and consistent and did I mention that it’s cheap?

With cable modem service currently at around $40-50 per month, naked DSL at under $20 per month might be very attractive for those who need an always-on connection that’s better than dial-up, but not necessarily blazing fast. Unbundling your phone from your internet

Continued

DSL Broadband can make life faster

2006-12-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

Your ready to start your business day, your done with breakfast and you turn on your computer and your Internet connection is as slow as a snail. It's true, DSL is much faster then a dial-up Internet connection, but is it all it's cracked up to be?

With many if not most companies relying heavily on their high speed Internet connection to conduct their business using e-mail, video conferencing, and now for voice Internet telephony applications, your bandwidth speed and reliability is as crucial as ever. What do you do? Get a Business DSL Line! There are many DSL companies offering service in your area, and these days there fighting to do business with your company. Be careful not to choose price over reliability.

Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the Internet then reliability of your connection is absolutely important. A critical connection can be viewed much like a life line, without which your business would be negatively impacted. Your monthly savings of having a sub-par connection will not make up for the loss you will incur in productivity of your employees or loss of customers when your DSL broadband connection gets slowed down or even worse gets cut off.

The fastest way to get an unbiased quote and compare DSL quotes fast is by going to the Internet and shopping around for DSL service providers.

Many DSL access providers are now offering low start up fees for the first 6 to 12 months of your service. You can choose from multiple providers like Earthlink, Verizon and Bellsouth. Business DSL is now available in many areas and is being added to many more cities and towns daily. Broadband service usually runs between $19 and $79 per month, depending on the plan you choose (residential vs. commercial, 512K vs. 3M, etc.)

Do some research, find the best possible price and get business DSL to make your job and life easier. You don't want a slow Internet connection to get you slowed down!

Andy Mangano has a website which offers prices on T1
Line service & writes a blog on VOIP .

Verizon expands DSL service to Keyser, West Virginia

2006-11-10T13:38:00.000-05:00

Verizon has expanded its DSL service to Keyser, West Virginia, allowing the population of Keyser to receive broadband Internet speeds at dial-up prices.

Story Continued

When it comes to Internet `service,' I feel your pain

2006-11-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

Now I know how a private detective feels when he's been "made."

A few weeks back I wrote about the inoperative muddle that had become my home Internet service, a highly ironic position for a fellow with the title of Internet critic to find himself in.

The column was mostly about how quickly and thoroughly we, meaning those of us fortunate enough to be able to afford it, have come to depend on the Net, how going without it is like a portion of the brain going dark.

But it also mentioned the none-too-impressive efforts of AT&T, my putative service provider, to repair my problem. That side of the equation deserves fuller exploration, because, like every journalist I've ever met, I am confident that what happened to me is emblematic of a broader trend.

Considering that this mention occurred in a major metropolitan newspaper, it wasn't surprising that AT&T's publicist called early and often after the piece ran. He wanted, he said, to find out my home address so the company could fix the problem pronto, which is what it would do for any customer having issues with DSL service, he said.

I wanted to preserve my anonymity, I told him, so that I could experience service from AT&T, the leading phone-line-based Internet provider in the Chicago area, the same way it works for people who lack public platforms for their grievances. So I didn't tell him, although I knew that, even with my very common name, it wouldn't be rocket science to figure out which house on the company's list of current service outages was mine.

I'm surprised, really, that it took as long as it did. Once it did, the results were impressive. My service was (at last) restored by a technician who put little hospital slippers over his shoes before entering the house and who, upon calling in to his office to run some tests and being put on hold, said something like, "Whoa, this is going to a high level."

Continued

Verizon to eliminate DSL service fee

2006-09-26T23:19:00.000-04:00

Verizon Communications said it will drop plans to impose a new surcharge for its DSL-based internet services a week after announcing the new charge.

The telecommunications company's change of heart comes after the US Federal Communications Commission began investigating it and BellSouth Corp over possible violation of federal truth-in-billing laws.

Verizon announced the new surcharge just as the government's Universal Service Fund was being phased out and customers were set to receive lower bills.

The company had said the new charge would cover surcharges 'imposed by its affiliated operating telephone companies to cover costs associated with providing DSL service to customers who do not also subscribe to Verizon's traditional phone service.'

Verizon's decision follows BellSouth's announcement last week that it too would eliminate a DSL service fee it said was 'designed to recover a number of costs remaining from previous regulatory obligations and other network' expenses.

TDS believes faster DSL service will suit small businesses

2006-09-26T23:18:00.000-04:00

Not everyone is a fan of providing high-speed Internet service over anything but the most up-to-date technology - fiber to the premises.

The belief that leading-edge businesses won't continue to lead the pack with trailing-edge technology is pervasive, but TDS Telecom believes small and mid-sized businesses have a different calculation.

TDS has introduced its Symmetrical Dedicated Internet, a DSL product that provides business customers with equal upload and download speeds of up to 45 megabits per second (Mbps).

The Madison-based broadband company, which serves nearly 26,000 business customers in Wisconsin and more than 73,000 nationwide, is marketing the technology to businesses that want a faster option to existing DSL without having to commit to costlier data connections.

Dave Wittwer, chief operating officer for TDS, called the product more of a natural evolution of an existing product than a competitive response to other products. "It's more of an enhancement of what we typically provide," he said. "We want to offer services to get them the speed they need without having to leapfrog to the next level, which would be fiber."

According to TDS, the service will allow business customers to transfer larger files and use the additional bandwidth for Virtual Private Networks or for hosting content-rich Web sites.

There are distance limitations, however. TDS said it will guarantee broadband network speeds within the predetermined service range of three to 45 Mbps within 5,000 feet, and from three to 20 Mbps within 12,000 feet from a central office.

The 45 Mpbs compares to average speeds of six Mbps for existing DSL service, Wittwer said.

TDS' new service won qualified praise from James Carlini, an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and president of the business management firm Carlini & Associates. Carlini has been critical of phone companies for their unwillingness to invest in what he calls real broadband - fiber to the premises that offers one gigabit per second of broadband speed - but he said the TDS product is better than another well-publicized effort.

"If they can get 45 megabits per second, that's a heck of a lot better than Project Lightspeed," he said, referring to an AT&T product that offers up to six Mbps of broadband.

Carlini acknowledged that 45 Mbps of speed represents reasonably good service for small business, but he said business consumers can do better. "Most of the traditional phone companies don't want to make the investments that need to be made to provide a [fiber] broadband infrastructure that will serve business needs for the next 50 to 100 years," he said.

DSL internet package offers managed routing

2006-08-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

IP convergence vendor Switch IP, part of specialist communications provider Switch Communications, has announced its business class internet service – Switch Globalreach.

Switch IP said it is offering a one-stop shop for network installation, support and management to provide high-quality connectivity for LANs, WANs, VPNs and web connections from a single source.

Chris Gray, network architect for Switch IP, said, "We'll take a managed Cisco router to the customer site, oversee the full installation through the BT Wholesale line, broadband-enable it and handle all Border Gateway Protocol 4 (BGP4) routing into the internet and the other ISPs we deal with."

Gray added, "The market is very crowded and everyone's offering broadband internet, but customers can get caught out by the small print in contracts. For instance, there could be a fixed amount of download per month or you could be on a long contract term."

Switch IP was set up two years ago to focus on the IP convergence market and is primarily an IP virtual private network (VPN) service provider.

"With Globalreach we have tried to make a high-quality product using only one speed, ADSL Max, with 8Mbit/s downlink and 832kbit/s uplink," said Gray. He added that in practice downlink speeds might be slower for companies that are a long way from an

Continued

DSL Service

So Should You Get ADSL or Cable?

2006-08-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

If you’re considering broadband, the chances are that you have two options: ADSL or cable (there’s also satellite, but it’s only really worthwhile when the other two are unavailable). Given that, then, you’re probably interested in just what the difference is, and which one is better. Read on.

The main difference between ADSL and cable is that ADSL uses your existing phone lines, while cable uses dedicated cables laid by a cable company – the same ones you can use to receive cable television transmissions.

Putting all the scientific stuff aside, ADSL and cable have clear upsides and downsides. With ADSL, you’re using a line for something it ultimately wasn’t meant for, and there is a top speed that you can’t go over (what it is depends on the quality of the physical line). If you’re a long way from a telephone exchange, you may find your connection very slow. Generally, however, ADSL is very cheap, and the healthy competition in the market means it’s getting cheaper all the time.

Cable, on the other hand, is devoted to what it does, with no telephone legacy to support. It can offer higher transfer speeds, even if you’re far away from the exchange. Can you guess the downside? It’s expensive.

So should you get ADSL or cable? Well, really, the answer largely depends on where you live. First, check how far you are from the telephone exchange – if it’s a long way, you shouldn’t even consider DSL. Then check what the prices are like at the cable provider in your area, as some are much more reasonable than others.

Ultimately, you have to decide what’s best for you based on local factors, but there are some websites out there to help you make the decision – dslreports.com, for example, is very good. Don’t commit to a connection until you’ve searched the web to see what its customers say.

John Gibb is the owner of adsl tips and guides
For more information on adsl check out http://www.adsl-guidance1k.info

Internet service: Cable vs. DSL vs. dial-up

2006-08-08T21:17:00.000-04:00

If you spend much time online, you're probably using a broadband Internet connection to your home or you are thinking seriously about getting one. Broadband offers near-instantaneous connections and swifter downloads than slower, albeit cheaper, dial-up Internet service.
But if broadband service is becoming almost a utility, it isn't yet as predictable and uniform in performance as that term suggests. In a survey of nearly 26,000 Consumer Reports subscribers--our largest-ever survey on Internet service providers (ISPs) and the first to rate broadband--we found differences in satisfaction with broadband service.

Here are the highlights of our findings:

There's no best broadband type. Availability of broadband is growing, with virtually all cable-TV companies now offering broadband Internet service and telephone companies wiring more neighborhoods for digital subscriber line (DSL) service. The highest-scoring cable and DSL providers offered comparable, fairly high levels of satisfaction--while the least satisfactory of each received equally ho-hum Ratings overall.

But the two provider types differed in what made their best ISPs score so high. Subscribers to the better-rated cable-broadband providers were more satisfied than most DSL subscribers with the speed of their service, and with its reliability and tech support. But subscribers to the least pricey of the DSL providers were far more satisfied with their monthly bills (around $30) than were subscribers to cable broadband, who paid about $35 to $45 a month.

There's no question as to the worst provider in our survey. It's DirecWay, the satellite-TV broadband provider, which offers relatively low satisfaction at a very high price--$600 and up for equipment and installation, and $57 a month thereafter for service.

Continued

Residents want DSL Service

2006-08-08T21:14:00.000-04:00

A group of residents tired of dial-up Internet connection off north Upper Truckee Road is enlisting county Supervisor Norma Santiago in its campaign for DSL service.

Patti Handal, a resident of Mountain View Estates near north Upper Truckee Road and a veterinarian, is pushing for high-speed Internet service to help upload videos, reports and be involved in veterinarian chat rooms.

For Bob and Jeri Jones, a deaf couple, having DSL means access to technology that would enable them more efficient communication with those who can hear via a videophone.

Handal wants Santiago, who represents Lake Tahoe's South Shore on the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, to include the areas without DSL when the supervisors hold closed-door negotiations with AT&T officials about bringing the service to burgeoning West Slope neighborhoods.

"We're trying to make it a package deal so we all get it," Handal said.

An enthusiastic Santiago said addressing the high-speed Internet access issue was one of the first topics she addressed when first elected.

"I am so grateful for the citizens group to bring forth what they're doing in this regard because it's providing us more evidence to AT&T for the need that we have for these particular high-speed services," she said.

A petition has been circulating in four neighborhoods that Handal has identified as not having DSL: Mountain View Estates, Angora Highlands, the far end of South Upper Truckee Road and Echo View Estates.

The meeting with county supervisors and AT&T officials is scheduled for Aug. 21. Handal is trying to get as many signatures as she can by Aug. 17.

Source: www.nevadaappeal.com