High Speed Internet Service Providers Reviewed

The Greenville News in South Carolina reported today that Internet speeds are rising as companies in the cable industry make a bid to replace DSL as the major delivery instrument for  high speed broadband. Charter Communications, the dominant cable company in upstate South Carolina, reports it has increased the speeds for the top three of its broadband tiers with no increase in price. Insiders say that cable providers are focused on expanding broadband because it is more profitable than traditional TV programming. The cable companies are readying themselves for the day when video will be delivered more commonly over the Internet than through cable lines. Some feel this has already started, noting well-known web-based services like Hulu and Netflix.  You can find the available download speeds in your area by checking both the local cable outlets and the DSL providers by zip code.  Doing so will enable you to compare services to find the best fit.

If you search for DSL providers by zip code, you may be fortunate enough to find that AT&T offers high-speed Internet service in your area.  AT&T is the nation’s largest provider of both wired and wireless broadband — and both will allow you to surf the net at lightning fast speeds either at home or when you are out and on the go. If you already have AT&T home telephone service, it is a simple matter to add high-speed Internet. But AT&T also offers the Internet without the need to sign up for any telephone service at all!  And one of the great things about dealing with AT&T is that you are dealing with a company that you have known for years and have come to trust.  Not only that, they make connecting to the Internet painless because they offer a number of different plans and price points — because they realize that every family has unique budget requirements.

According to a report posted earlier this week on Daily Finance, an AOL money and finance site, when CenturyLink merged with Qwest Internet in April, there was an immediate drop in broadband subscribers.  According to CenturyLink‘s CFO, Stewart Ewing, the drop was related to a number of special-priced promotional packages Qwest had offered its DSL users.  Today CenturyLink is actively going after broadband-only customers at the end of promotional cycles by offering additional product bundles.  Included among the products being offered is wireless service — utilizing their new relationship with Verizon.  Also being offered, in those markets where it is available, is Prism IPTV.  It’s interesting to note that CenturyLink‘s new RBOC partners, Verizon  and AT&T, have both seen gains in both broadband and video — a trend that will no doubt be reported in their earnings reports which are due out later this month for both companies.

An alliance in Northern Florida, called the Florida Rural Broadband Alliance is promising to bring high-speed Internet to an eight county area in Northern Florida.  The alliance is made up from two not for profit business advocacy groups.  Its aim is to create more jobs, improve health care, and improve the business climate in the region. “This will allow businesses to have a faster and more reliable Internet connection, which is particularly important in today’s global economy”, said Rick Martin, the executive director of the FRBA. “When compled with Internet phone call providers, this new high-speed Internet will make doing business overseas much simpler.”  Currently the area relies mostly on DSL. Those living in the area can look up their local DSL providers by zip code to see if this new service will be available to them.

According to an article in yesterday’s edition of the Chicago Sun Times, there are thousands of school aged children in the Fox Valley and Aurora sections of the greater Chicago metropolitan area that are now able to gain high-speed access to the Internet for less than $10.00 per month.  How can they get it for such an inexpensive rate?  They can thank the Essentials program that is sponsored by Comcast.  The program was designed for low-income families with students.  The intention of the program is to eliminate the “digital divide” that separates the haves from the have-nots when it comes to Internet access.

According to the article, the program is available to all families with children who receive a free lunch through the National School Lunch program.  The program is available in East Aurora and surrounding school districts.  It is anticipated that nearly 70% of all students in the East Aurora school district will qualify.  Clayton Muhammad, speaking for the District said: “We’re increasingly aware of the importance for all children to have access to the Internet and advancing technologies.”  Comcast sponsors the program in many communities throughout the nation.

Who would ever associate the Internet with soap?  Sure, you might feel the need to wash your hands after using your keyboard, but that is a far cry from what we’re talking about. What we are referring to is using the Internet to learn how to make soap! Amazingly, one woman, who now has a successful soap making business, said she learned her entire trade on the Internet!  She was looking for an opportunity and decided to look online. Because of a slow Internet connection speed, however, she told us: “I searched for Internet service providers in my area and was quickly hooked up with a fast broadband connection.” Using this new mobility, she joined some soap making forums, read detailed online soap making instructions, had many questions answered by other soap makers — and in no time at all she was making soap!  She now successfully sells her soaps to boutiques and bath stores in over 12 states!

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Ma Bell was an icon that personified big business.  Normally the reference to Ma Bell was a reference to the Bell Telephone System, which subsequently became AT&T.  This huge company became a monopoly that provided telephone service to the United States and Canada through the year 1984 when the U.S. Department of Justice broke it up into several different companies. Now, just 25 years later, the telecommunications business is no longer solely about telephone lines that carry calls into the homes of people and into the nations businesses.  Now it is Internet service, along with wireless, mobile devices that these companies focus on.  In fact, the separate phone companies that were created back in 1984 have evolved into the major Internet service providers in the nation today.  Isn’t it amazing to see how things have changed in just 25 years!

The State of Hawaii has just touched off a broadband initiative which will provide access throughout the state to ultra high-speed Internet that is affordable.  The completion date is targeted for 2018 and Governor Abercrombie said the improvements “are going to take us to a new world of communications and accessibility that will be unprecedented.”  The target speed for this broadband initiative is one gigabit per second — or about 200 times faster than the connections provided by today’s DSL providers by zip code. The initiative calls for all universities, public libraries and schools to have access to these ultra-speed connections.

The governor said the initiative is important for Hawaii because it ensures the state be among the  leaders in such areas as healthcare and education despite the ocean separating it from the rest of the country.  He doesn’t want the state to develop an “over-class and an under-class” when it comes to Internet access.  “I do not want Hawaii to become a society that is divided with a new digital form of class division” he was quoted as saying in a story that appeared last week on Maui Now dot com.

KTVT Television in Boise recently reported that Qwest Arena in Boise will soon get a name change to CenturyLink Arena. The arena is home to the Idaho Steelheads, members of the premier ‘AA’ minor hockey league-the ECHL.  The announcement was recently made at a luncheon in downtown Boise.  Century Link merged with Qwest Communications, including Qwest Internet, in April of this year with Century Link emerging as the name of the new company.  The arena seats 5,000 fans and has about 40 luxury boxes plus a bar and restaurant which have a commanding view of center ice.

Jim Schmit, Vice President and General Manager for the State of Idaho, said that “Century Link understands the significance of the arena to the good folks of Boise and the entire State of Idaho.  For us we feel that this is much more than simply changing a name on the outside of a building.” Since the merger, Century Link has also renamed the stadium in Seattle that is the home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks to CenturyLink Field.

While addressing the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners that met this summer in Los Angeles, Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T made a most interesting remark. He said that DSL technology was obsolete. “We built DSL back in 1997 to chase Comcast built DSL, but now that is obsolete,” The statement was verified by several other attendees of the conference.  It was an odd statement to make because ATT is a company that still sells DSL service.  To check the types of service available in your area, many have found doing a search using the search term: DSL providers by zip code is very helpful.

Many online sources have reported that, as of today, the vast majority of AT&T’s current customers are technically using some type of DSL (although for some it is VDSL). In a clarification, AT&T spokeswoman Mari Melguizo said that Stephenson was trying to say that new technology is being surpassed by the next generation much faster than ever before. “We have millions of customers using DSL and remain fully committed to the technology–even as we constantly look to bring innovation to the marketplace,” Melguizo said.  AT&T remains one of the nation’s major providers of broadband.

Can I get DSL in my home? This is a frequently asked question. While the answer is always going to be either Yes or No, it would be helpful to understand exactly why DSL may be available to one neighbor and not to another. The availability of broadband DSL is generally determined by the exact address where the service is requested. One of the fastest ways to check your availability is to search for DSL Providers by Zip Code. Although it is entirely possible that some homes within your zip code will have this service available, while others will not. Why is that?

It is because DSL is only available within a limited distance from the phone company’s office. The copper cable used to carry DSL has a limit of around 15,000 feet. That means DSL service can only be made available within that point to point distance. The way it works is the shorter the distance from the phone office to your home, the faster your connection speed. The good news is, as more companies are switching over to fiber optics, the 15,000 foot limitation is being extended. True, this explanation is oversimplified. What it boils down to is, however, is that you may qualify a certain DSL option not offered to your next door neighbor — it simply depends on how the cable was installed. The best place to start shopping for new service is an online search for DSL providers by zip code.

If you are looking for solid, dependable broadband for the lowest price, check out what DSL providers by zip code are offering.  DSL can definitely compete with the cable providers these days on all fronts.  For instance, you can get up to 3 Mbps high speed internet from AT&T for only $14.95 a month, with the same low price available for a full 12 months.  For 5 Mbps speed, just tack on another $5 a month.  All plans include a free modem.  Verizon also has some great plans available starting at $19.99 a month for new customers, and they will also include a free wireless modem.  To check availability with these two providers is as simple as entering your zip code.

There are quite a few interesting promotions being offered for Qwest internet. For example, you could get speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps for as little as $19.99 per month. Their lightening fast speeds of up to 20 Mbps are being offered for prices as low as $35.00. But if you’re looking to save the most with Qwest, keep in mind that these offers are only available online. Save yourself the time and hassle of calling up the company – only to end up paying more. When you find the best deals online, you can sign up at your leisure and know that you’re getting the best rate that’s currently being offered.

After reading the AT&T DSL Review, you will absolutely understand why they have been noted to have complete customer satisfaction. AT&T DSL is a reliable service with support staff to contact 24 hours a day. AT&T provides speed levels with a minimum speed of 256 kilobits per second and downstream speeds range from 1.5 mbps to 6.0 mbps. They offer bundled services with a basic package starting $19.95 including a free modem and so much more. AT&T is offered in 22 states, so take the time to enter your Zip Code to see if they are service providers in your area.

Did you know that you can search DSL providers by zip code?  It’s true.  Go to your provider’s website, and you’ll find an area to see if they serve your neighborhood.  You enter your zip code and find out if you can get service from them.  You’ll be able to compare plans offered by the major providers and see if the cost and speed are right for you.  There are always special incentives for signing up online, such as free modems, free activation, and cash back rebates or gift cards. These offers are available online only and usually for a limited time.