Pages

Sunday, February 27, 2005

Let them have DSL!

DSL has been hailed as a great solution for residential broadband needs. You may have heard this term from friends and neighbors when talking about their fast internet connection. It's true, DSL is much faster then a dial-up internet connection, but is it all it's cracked up to be?
With speeds of up to 140 times faster than dial up internet access its definitely fast but the problem is you don't always get the advertised speed. You DSL connection is highly dependant on your distance from the phone company. If you're over 5,000 feet your signal will begin to drop off and your connection will be degraded, i.e. slower speed. At about 15,000 feet from the phone company (3 miles) your signal will completely cut off.

The second problem with DSL is the fact that it's highly over subscribed. Oversubscription means that many people are pulling from the same resource. During the afternoon when people are at work there may be plenty of bandwidth to have, but in the evening when everyone is looking up the news, going through e-mail, or shopping online, access tends to be strained. Many people pulling from the same limited resource will find that there's only so much to go around. What does this mean to you? Slow speeds! It's interesting to note that DSL companies lampooned cable internet access as being shared by the neighborhood. Commercials displayed neighbors at each others throats for overusing the connection because it affected other's use. The irony of the commercials is that DSL users suffer from the same problem of common access. It's a great solution, but don't let them fool you….It's not perfect!

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Sprint DSL Offerings

Ever since we were young, most of us have been taught that by cutting out the middle man we can save money, but is that all you save? When it comes to internet access and phone service working with the incumbents or Baby Bells is a mixed bag. Certainly there are competitive companies that can give you the same or better phone service than the Baby Bells which suffer from years of a monopolistic market but is it the same for internet service?
In actuality, DSL service is actually quite different than phone service. Besides the obvious difference of one being data and one being voice, competitive carriers generally use their own equipment which is kept at the phone company's facilities. In this case, asking your phone company to make changes to your service is dependant on your phone company and depending on how smoothly they run their operations you could have a very pleasant experience. Internet service, however is different. Many baby bells resell their service which is then sold under a different name. You may be buying internet access and not realize that you're really buying Sprint DSL under another name.

In cases where companies purchase Sprint DSL and resell it under their own name, many of the advantages of changing carriers disappear. If the carrier does not own their equipment they will need to contact the provider to make any changes and as they are not the provider you have added another layer of complexity to any request you may have. Is it really worth the $5 or $10 you're saving by going with a competitor? Often times it's not. Think about cutting out the middle man when looking for internet service. If you know the company is simply reselling Sprint DSL, why not just go with the source?

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Go Wireless With Cellular Phone Service Plans

Cell phones have become an indelible part of our lives, enabling us to stay connected no matter where we are. Whether you are a parent, a student or a professional, you need cellular phone service to ensure that your family and friends can get in touch with you when they need to, and vice versa. Higher competition has forced the rates for cellular phone plans to decrease, making cellular phone service more affordable and easier on your wallet. If you compare cell phone plans, you’ll see that most cellular phone service plans offer similar features but there is a large variation in prices. Our job is to make sure that you get all the attributes you need in cellular phone service plans at the lowest price. We have partnered with all of the major providers of digital PCS and other cellular phone service carriers in the nation to bring you the largest assortment of cellular phone plans that you will find on the Internet.

Get The Right Mobile Service / Wireless Paging Plan

Whether you’re looking for an affordable mobile service, wireless paging plan or even just comparing cell phone plans,CheapTelecom.org is the right place. To get cellular phone plans, just enter your zip code and you can compare cell phone plans available in your area. To get the right wireless paging plan, click on the pager type (alphanumeric, or text messaging - or - numeric, numbers only).