> Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 00:13:48 -0500
> From: Trevor Boicey <tboicey@brit.ca>
> Organization: BRIT Inc.
> To: Scott Gardner <gardner7@pilot.infi.net>
> Subject: Re: FCC and Internet Access (off topic)
> Scott Gardner wrote:
> > in November or December, WIRED magazine did an article comparing all
> > the currently-available access methods. I recommend it as a primer
> > on Internet connectivity.
>
> I couldn't find it on their web site, do you remember the
> just of it?
>
> I have ADSL.
>
> --
> Trevor Boicey
> Ottawa, Canada
> tboicey@brit.ca
> http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
>
Trevor,
Sorry, my bust. It was in the December 1997 issue of Windows
Magazine (http://www.winmag.com). I don't know if they have it
on-line, so I'll run through the high points.
BRI ISDN
[128 Kbps]
Advantages: Relatively available, and prices are dropping
Disadvantages: Few ISPs support it currently, the ones that do
usually charge extra for it (sometimes double), and not all ISPs
support dual channel (128kbps) transmission.
56K ANALOG
[45 Kbps]
Advantages: Cheap and easy to install, since it's just an analog
modem.
Disadvantages: Compatibility problems because of the two competing
standards (possibly more than two soon), and some ISPs may charge a
surcharge. Also limited improvement over a 33.6 modem.
T1
[1.54 Mbps]
Advantages: It's fast and sized right for largish web sites, and it's
already a known quantity, so many technicians already have T1
experience.
Disadvantages: All those phone company tariffs, ISP access fees and
hardware costs add up. You could give a 56k modem and a year of
internet access to 128 people for what what it costs to equip and
lease a T1 line
SATELLITE (DirectPC)
[400 Kbps]
Advantages: Satellites may be the only way for rural users to break
the analog modem barrier. It's a good way for companies to handle
Internet broadcasting on a large scale.
Disadvantages: You'll still need a slow analog modem and ISP account
for sending data. Architectural restrictions may prevent you from
installing the dish, and upfront costs for hardware and service can
be high.
CABLE MODEMS
3 Mbps]
Advantages: More bandwidth than a T1, for a ridiculously low monthly
fee, and you don't even buy the hardware, the cable company supplies
it.
Disadvantages: Speed declines as more people share the connection,
and cable company ISPs tend to be pretty primitive. Availibility is
the sticking point. Most of the cable in this country is so outdated
it'll be ages before cable modems are available in all neighborhoods.
But who cares, as long as it gets to yours?
DSL
[1.5 Mbps]
Advantages: they're capable of anywhere from 468kbps to a whopping 51
Mbps and could one day be as common as phone lines.
Disadvantages:
Exactly how much speed you'll get depends on the condition of your
line, your distance from the telephone company switch, and hardware.
Prices havn't fallen as expected.
LMDS
[500 kbps]
Advantages: An LMDS transmitter has a range of just over 24 miles,
which makes it ideal for urban areas, where a large population can
use a single transmitter. It's easy to deploy and install. By 1999
we could be seeing two-way LMDS transmissions of 1.5 Mbps.
Disadvantages: Like Satellite modems, LMDS currently requires an
analog modem for upstream data. And because of the 24-mile radius,
you'll need a LOT of transmitters to service a large area, which will
slow its adoption.
If you're interested in more information, I can mail the article.
It's about nine pages long, and very in-depth.
Scott
Scott Gardner
gardner@lwcomm.com
www.lwcomm.com/~gardner
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