How to Choose Best ISP for Your Needs
Well, the Internet access industry is starting to shake its way out. The much-anticipated consolidation of access providers is nearing its end. In broadband, this means that most users have little or no choice of providers. Though many of the changes have been hard on user choice, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In some cases, it's better to have one stable and pricey provider than 100 unstable, cheap providers. The shakeout was painful for scores of users who often were left with no connection when they needed it most. And some providers left standing don't exactly have good track records, either.
Still, there is reason for users to be optimistic about the future. The following is an outline of the way the Internet access business should go in the coming year. I provide it to give you a better understanding of where you should go now, assuming you want to stick with the same internet access provider for at least a year.
Don't ditch dial-up
A lot of users were glad they hung on to their dial-up accounts in the midst of uncertainty with their broadband connections. When things go bad with broadband (as they often do), you at least can get e-mail, if not a quick scan of the headlines in text-heavy Web sites.
If you have a dial-up account, and you're paying less than $20 for it, consider it a blessing to have a back-up system. At the very least, when you need to reach tech support for your broadband account and you can't get through due to heavy call volume, you can e-mail them from your dial-up account. Things to look out for in dial-up:
Go with a provider that has been around long enough to quickly respond to such issues as software upgrades and peak calling volumes.
Read the fine print before signing. Some ISPs will disconnect you after a relatively short amount of time of idleness. Others let you stay online as long as you're actively engaged. Still others never disconnect users. The last is preferable; the middle option usually offers the best value.
Check out Boardwatch magazine's ISP Directory to see how much infrastructure you will be paying for. Make sure your chosen ISP has an acceptable ratio of modems to users. Three users for every modem is acceptable, considering that it is unlikely that all their customers will dial up at once. o Match prices with the ratio of modem pools to users.
Check out options such as personal Web site services and multiple addresses. These are nice to have and can add value to your experience as long as you use them--provided they're bundled in.
DSL doldrums
Of all the access methods, DSL has received the most scorn since I've been at this job. My own experiences were horrendous, and I'm not alone. It works great for about 20 percent of the population who are geographically blessed. It works OK for another 30 percent or so of the population, who may have to endure some line noise in order to get DSL. And it doesn't work at all for the other half. Couple its inherent technical limitations with DSL providers falling off the wires like shocked birds, and the situation has not been pretty.
Still, those providers that have made it through the shock test should be able to offer a good experience (with the exception of Qwest). Consider DSL carefully and you will avoid a lot of pain.
Some DSL issues you should consider:
Talk to a neighbor about their DSL experience. Do they have a lot of line noise on the phone even with the filters? Did they have any equipment or network problems with their provider? If so, did they get put on hold and shuffled around through tech support when they called in? Was their DSL provider able to support a variety of platforms, or was it basically Windows-only?
Consider an ISP for DSL service.
The Baby Bells, such as Qwest and Verizon, are not well equipped to deliver DSL service. Even though smaller ISPs may only resell DSL service from Baby Bell providers, they at least provide a live human being when things go wrong. Because the Baby Bells know the cost of supporting DSL users, they can offer DSL to ISPs much more cheaply than they can offer it directly to users. So you can often get a price break from ISPs, especially if you're willing to accept a slightly slower connection.
Mary works in US for a media company, occasionally writing for the biggest cheap internet access news portal, and drinking too much coffee.
Latest News
World Phone forays into cable broadband internet services Economic Times, India - NEW DELHI: World Phone Internet Services Pvt Ltd, India’s premier VoIP solutions provider, on Thursday announced its foray into cable broadband internet ... World Phone to offer Internet access at Rs 95 per month |
 Digitaltrends.com | Third of UK homes still lack internet access ZDNet UK, UK - Overall, more than half (56 percent) of UK homes now have broadband internet access — an increase of five percentage points on 2007, according to the ONS ... Two-thirds of UK homes now have Internet connectivity A third of people do not have Internet access Record number of homes have broadband |
Research and Markets: This Annual Publication Profiles the Trends ... MarketWatch - EU funding has improved accessibility to e-government services and broadband Internet in underserved areas, with additional funding until at least 2013. ... |
Telekom Malaysia unveils wireless broadband internet service Telecom Paper (subscription), Netherlands - The package is a mobility pack which offers wireless broadband internet access via its Wi-Fi service at streamyx zones in Malaysia. ... |
D.Telekom to expand broadband into rural areas Reuters - Almost all Germans in cities can access broadband Internet DSL networks but little more than half of people living in the countryside could do so at the end ... Deutsche Telekom to provide 96 pct of German households with DSL ... |
Intel announces Rs 5000 desktop for the Indian market Economic Times, India - Intel also signed an agreement with state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to jointly popularise broadband Internet and wireless broadband ... Intel’s connected Indian movement Intel Demos Prototype in India of US$114 Atom Device Intel's Atom proffers hope of $115 Internet devices |
Consumers in 9 More Western Mass. Towns Now Have High-Speed Access ... MarketWatch - These are among 24 western Massachusetts communities where Verizon is making broadband Internet service available for the first time. ... Mascom Wireless makes 3G and 3.5G product offerings Markle, Ind., Consumers Now Have Access to Fast, Affordable ... |
 The Oregonian - OregonLive.com | Operators Eye Net Management Makeovers Multichannel News, NY - “Although Comcast’s Terms of Use statement may have specified that its broadband Internet access service was subject to ‘speed and upstream and downstream ... Comcast Caps Highlight Lack of Broadband Competition Comcast to cap monthly consumer broadband starting Oct. 1 Comcast Sets Monthly Bandwidth Limit for Customers |
Schafer pushes free trade, broadband access Dickinson Press, ND - Schafer spoke to attendees at the Governor’s Rural Community Summit in Bismarck Wednesday morning, also stressing the need for better broadband Internet ... ND ag secretary defends ethanol, promotes tech Schafer: US Ag Dept promoting broadband access |
Miss a TV show? Catch it online Indianapolis Star, United States - Your broadband Internet connection speed is more important because video eats up bandwidth. Video sites usually adjust the video quality to suit your ... |
Resources
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