Summary of Features
PC Magazine
April 22, 1999
| Straight FTP Throughput (Kbps) H |
Monthly Service Fee |
Cost per Mbps* |
|
| ANALOG V.90 | |||
| Concentric Network, San Francisco | 20.9 | $19.95 | $977 |
| CABLE | |||
| @ Home, Fremont, CA | 222.8 | $39.95 | $184 |
| @Home, Sarasota, FL | 434.9 | $39.95 | $94 |
| MediaOne, Arlington, MA | 263.6 | $39.95 | $155 |
| MediaOne, Atlanta, GA | 532.8 | $39.95 | $77 |
| MediaOne, Boxford, MA | 613.1 | $39.95 | $67 |
| MediaOne, Elmhurst, IL | 581.9 | $39.95 | $70 |
| Optimum Online, Westport, CT | 383.0 | $39.95 | $107 |
| DSL | |||
| Bell Atlantic, Leonia, NJ | 406.8 | $59.95 | $151 |
| Bell South, Atlanta, GA | 534.5 | $59.95 | $115 |
| Brainstorm / Covad, Foster City, CA | 84.5 | $90.00 | $1,091 |
| Sirius / Covad, San Francisco, CA | 140.6 | $149.00 | $1,085 |
| SATELLITE | |||
| DirecPC, Tampa, FL | 223.2 | $49.99 | $229 |
* Based on monthly service charges.
Fast Connections Compared
| Service provider | Installation cost | Monthly cost | Download speed | Upload speed | Always on | Requires phone line | User can receive calls while line is in use | Limit- ations |
User can choose ISP | Best use | |
| 56K analog | For phone line, local phone company; for service, independent ISP | Up to $25; modem provided by user | $19 (plus cost of phone line) | 56 Kbps or less (depending on local line condition) | 33.6 Kbps | No | Yes | No | None | Yes | Residential |
| ISDN | For phone line, local phone company; for service, independent ISP | $100-$300 (varies regionally) | Phone line, $19-$50 (plus per-minute usage charges in some areas); ISP, $19-$39 | 64 Kbps or 128 Kbps | 64 Kbps or 128 Kbps | No | No | Yes | Must be within 19,000 feet of central office | Yes | Residential or business |
| ADSL | Local phone company, or choose among competitive local and interexchange carriers | $100-$500; modem, up to $610 | $39-$840 (may not include Internet connection) | 144 Kbps-8 Mbps | 144 Kbps-1.7 Mbps | Yes | Yes | Yes | Must be within 20,000 feet of central office; speed varies with distance | Yes | Residential or business |
| Cable modem | Local cable operator, often acting as agent for a national cable provider | Up to $175; modem, up to $349 | $39-$49 (includes Internet connection) | 384 Kbps-4 Mbps | 128 Kbps-4 Mbps | Yes | No | Yes | Must have cable TV available | No | Residential or small- business |
| DirecPC satellite | DirecPC (Hughes Electronics, a division of GM) | $300-$800 | $29.99- $129.99 (plus analog phone line and modem) |
400 Kbps | 33.6 Kbps | Yes (for down- load only) |
Yes | Yes (except when upload- ing) |
Requires outside antenna | No* | Residential |
| Fixed-point wireless | Advanced Radio Telecom, NextLink Commun- ications, Teligen, WavePath Commun- ications |
Negotiated according to services used | Varies (services can include telephone, intranet, remote access, VPN) | Residential, up to 4 Mbps; business, generally up to 1,555 Mbps | Varies | Yes | No (may provide phone access) | Yes (except when chosen as phone service) | Requires outside antenna | Yes | Business |
Cable Services in Major Metro Areas
| Area | Services | Phone number | URL |
| Atlanta | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Convergence.com | Contact local cable TV operator | www.convergence.com | |
| MediaOne Express | 888-339-3160 | www.mediaoneexpress.com | |
| Boston | MediaOne Express | 888-339-3160 | www.mediaoneexpress.com |
| Chicago | MediaOne Express | 888-339-3160 | www.mediaoneexpress.com |
| Dallas | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Denver | Convergence.com | Contact local cable TV operator | www.convergence.com |
| ISP Channel | 888-843-1700 | www.ispchannel.com | |
| Houston | Not yet available | Contact local cable TV operator | |
| Los Angeles | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| ISP Channel | 888-843-1700 | www.ispchannel.com | |
| MediaOne Express | 888-339-3160 | www.mediaoneexpress.com | |
| Miami | Convergence.com | Contact local cable TV operator | www.convergence.com |
| PowerLink | 888-233-5638 | powerlink.adelphia.net | |
| New York | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Optimum Online | Contact local cable TV operator | www.optimumonline.com | |
| Philadelphia | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Portland, OR | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| St. Louis | EarthLink | 800-327-8454 | www.earthlink.com |
| San Francisco | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Convergence.com | Contact local cable TV operator | www.convergence.com | |
| San Jose | ISP Channel | 888-843-1700 | www.ispchannel.com |
| Seattle | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
| Tampa | Road Runner | Contact local cable TV operator | www.rr.com |
| Washington | @Home | 650-569-5000 | www.home.net/home |
Cable Modem Services: Sample Costs
| Service | Home installation | Modem | Monthly charge | Network interface card |
| @Home www.home.net/home |
$99-$175 | Possible rental fee or purchase from local cable provider | $29.95-$49.95 | Provided with modem |
| ISP Channel www.ispchannel.com |
$99 | $179-$349 | $49.95 and up | User must provide |
| MediaOne Express www.mediaoneexpress.com |
$99.95 | Rental included in the monthly service charge | $39.95 for MediaOne cableTV customers; $49.95 for other customers | $49.95 from MediaOne or provided by user |
| Road Runner www.rr.com |
Varies by area (generally $99) | Rental included in the monthly service charge | Varies by area (generally $39.95) | Provided with modem |
DSL Service Providers in Major Metro Areas
| Services available | Phone number | URL |
| American Information Systems | 312-255-8500 | www.ais.net |
| @Work | 888-988-9675 | www.home.net/work |
| Bell Atlantic Corp. | 877-525-2375 | www.bellatlantic.com |
| BellSouth | 404-249-2000 | www.bellsouth.com |
| Brainstorm Networks | 650-567-6244 | www.brainstorm.net |
| Concentric Network Corp. | 888-493-6232 | www.concentric.net |
| Covad Communications Co. | 888-462-6823 | www.covad.com |
| DigitalSelect LLC | 800-900-7567 | www.digitalselect.net |
| Flashcom | 877-352-7426 | www.flashcom.com |
| GTE Service Corp. | 800-555-4833 | www.gte.com |
| InteleNet Communications Inc. | 888-787-7979 | www.intelenet.net |
| Ionix Technology Corp. | 415-288-9940 | www.ionix.net |
| Muse Communications Co. | 214-821-7909 | www.musecommunications.com |
| Netcom | 800-638-2661 | www.netcom.com |
| NorthPoint Communications Inc. | 415-403-4003 | www.northpointcom.com |
| Orconet | 877-672-6638 | www.orconet.com |
| Pacific Bell | 800-310-2355 | www.pacbell.com |
| Red | 888-733-2000 | www.redconnect.net |
| Rhythms NetConnections | 800-749-8467 | www.rhythms.net |
| Shore.Net | 781-477-2000 | www.shore.net |
| Southwestern Bell | 888-294-8433 | www.swbell.com |
| Telares, Internet Global Services Inc. | 888-221-1335 | www.telares.com |
| U S West | See below* | www.uswest.com |
| UUnet, an MCI WorldCom Company | 800-488-6383 | www.uunet.com |
| Verio Inc. | 888-438-8374 | www.verio.com |
| WinStar iCi | 800-234-0002 | www.ici.net |
| Zyan Communications | 800-205-4884 | www.zyan.com |
DSL Services: Sample Costs
| Service | Bandwidth (down/up) | Monthly charge | Connection charge | Modem cost | Installation fee |
| Bell Atlantic www.bellatlantic.com |
640Kb / 90Kb 1.6Mb / 90Kb 7.1Mb / 680Kb |
$39.95 $59.95 $109.95 |
$99 | $325 | $99 |
| BellSouth www.bellatlantic.com |
Up to 1.5Mb / up to 256Kb | $49.95* $59.95 |
Included in price of modem | $199.95 | $99.95 |
| Concentric www.concentric.net |
144Kb-160Kb / 144Kb-160Kb 384Kb-416Kb / 384Kb-416Kb 1.5Mb / 1.5Mb |
$149 $199 $499 |
Included in installation fee | $425-$610 | $125-$375 |
| Flashcom www.flashcom.com |
200Kb / 200Kb 384Kb / 384Kb 784Kb / 784Kb 1.5Mb / 1.5Mb |
$89 $139 $199 $349 |
Waived (or included in installation fee) | $299 and up | 384Kb, $225; other bandwidths, fee waived |
| GTE www.gte.com |
256Kb / 64Kb 384Kb / 384Kb 768Kb / 768Kb 1.5Mb / 768Kb |
$25 and up $44 and up $65 and up $110 and up |
$60 | $300, or $12 per month | $140-$300 |
| Pacific Bell www.pacbell.com |
384Kb / 128Kb 1.5Mb / 384Kb |
$39 $129 |
Waived (with 1-year contract) | $198 | Waived (with 1-year contract) |
| Rhythms NetConnections www.rhythms.net |
144Kb / 144Kb 384Kb / 384Kb 1Mb / 1Mb 7Mb / 1Mb |
$115 $150 $250 $750 |
Included in installation fee | Included | With 1-year contract, $500; with 2-year contract, $250; with 3-year contract, free |
| U S West www.uswest.com |
256Kb / 256Kb 512Kb / 512Kb 768Kb / 768Kb 1Mb / 1Mb 7Mb / 1Mb |
$40.00 $62.40 $76.80 $120.00 $840.00 |
$110 | $199-$299 | $149.95 |
Monthly service charges may vary if a service is offering a special promotion.
All prices listed are for single-user unlimited usage.
* For Bell South Complete Choice subscribers
Copyright 1999