| TYPE: |
Speed
down/up
(approx) |
Time
to download 10MB file (minutes) |
Price
(per month) |
Pro |
Con |
Urban |
Suburb |
Rural |
Home |
Power
user |
Office |
|
| Cable |
200 kbps-30
mbps/ 128 kbps-3 mbps |
1.4 |
$30-$55 |
Blazing
downloads; comparatively quick installation. Good upload
speeds. |
Limited upload
speed; bandwidth sharing can degrade performance. |
Good |
Good |
Poor |
Very good |
Good |
Satisfactory |
|
|
| DSL |
144 kbps-8
mbps/ 128 kbps-8 mbps/ |
1.8 |
$19-$500 |
Variable-bandwidth
services can be tailored to your needs and budget. |
Higher
bandwidth. Have to install software. Can be difficult installation. |
Good |
Good |
Poor |
Good |
Good |
Good |
|
|
- Fixed
- wireless
|
500 kbps/ 150
kbps |
2.7 |
$60 |
Nice if you
can get it. |
Not yet widely
available or stable. |
Poor |
Poor |
Poor |
Satisfactory |
Good |
Good |
|
|
| Satellite |
400 kbps-500
kbps/ 28.8 kbps-256 kbps |
3.4 |
$30-$80 |
New bi-directional
services bring DSL-like speeds to rural users. |
May require
dial-up also. Need hardware and clear sky view.. |
Good |
Good |
Good |
Satisfactory |
Poor |
Poor |
|
|
| ISDN |
128 kbps/ 128
kbps |
10.7 |
$70-$150 |
Provides two
analog lines or a 128-kbps Internet connection. |
- Not fast
- enough for
- the price.
|
Good |
Good |
Satisfactory |
Satisfactory |
Poor |
Satisfactory |
|
|
| Analog
dial-up |
56 kbps/ 33.6
kbps |
28.4 |
$8.95-$24.95 |
Cheapest
Internet connection. |
Provides a
fraction of broadband speed. Ties up phone line. |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Satisfactory |
Poor |
Poor |
