High-speed connections surge

CNET News.com ^ | December 17, 2002, 9:43 AM PT | Declan McCullagh

[glorgau]

Americans' love of high-speed Internet connections is reflected in a 70 percent jump in subscriber numbers during the past year, according to government figures released Tuesday.

The Federal Communications Commission's biannual report said there were approximately 16.2 million broadband customers as of June 2002, up from 9.6 million a year earlier and 12.8 million six months before. Because the FCC generally counts a business or household as one customer, the actual number of Americans with broadband access at home or at work is far higher.

The remarkable growth rate is due almost entirely to the increasing popularity of cable modems and DSL (digital subscriber line) connections, which together account for about 90 percent of broadband links and the vast majority of the increase. The remainder of the high-speed market is shared by ISDN, fiber, satellite, or fixed wireless connections, which have enjoyed a rate of growth in the single digits.

Not all of those connections are bidirectional, meaning that the speed would be least 200KB per second for uploads and downloads. Approximately 10.4 million of 16.2 million customers fall into that category, according to the data gathered by the FCC based on its surveys of telecom companies.

California, the most populous state, leads in high-speed lines, with 2.6 million subscribers. Next is New York with 1.5 million customers, Florida with 1.1 million, and Texas with 1 million.

Cable modems are still the most popular, with 9.1 million subscribers and a 29 percent rate of increase from Dec. 2001 to June 2002. DSL is next, with 5.1 million subscribers and a 29 percent rate of increase during the same time.

The report suggests that broadband services are available to almost everyone who wants them, which could make it more difficult for Congress to pass a broadband-spending law when politicians return next month. "Our analysis indicates that 98 percent of the country's population lives in the 84 percent of zip codes where a provider reports having at least one high-speed service subscriber," the report says.

The FCC admits its report may be under-inclusive because it does not include connections that are faster than dial-up modems with a throughput under 200KB per second, and because there is no legal requirement that companies respond to its surveys.

[general_re]

Well, that's the exception that proves the rule. Let me revise - almost all of them really, really suck. ;)

[MadIvan]

If you're sharing with other computers, I recommend getting a DSL Router - I've got one for my house, and also with a wireless access point. It was either that or I start drilling holes in the walls to get the cables through.

Regards, Ivan

[bvw]

Paper tape punch, three inch travel key teletype. Just kidding about the key size ... yup. 50 baud ... so there -- no no -- morse code. dit dah dit. stop

[Calvin Locke]

One of Art Bell's bestest friends is named Hoaxie. He resume includes personally being there when Walter Cronkite interviewed Robert Goddard.

Anyway, one story is talking with the president of the phone company: "With the advent of satellite communications ... when will it benefit the consumer?"

Prez: "Huh? Do you know what we have for sunk and unamoritized costs?????"

Come to think of it, some other applicable TPC mottos:

"We don't care. We don't have to."

and of course,

"Because we can."

[strela]

You could probably get broadband satellite, but your upload would use dialup.

I can get the both-way satellite option, but its still pretty pricey. Since I work for a major electronics retailer, I'll just wait until we get a decent discount on the service/hardware.

[dtel]

Well I remember when you could rebuild a Harley with a screwdriver, hammer and crescent wrench. Wait, you still can, ain't progress grand.
What this has to do with high speed internet I am not sure, but there must be some relevance somewhere.

[rdb3]

What kind of through put do you get?

1.5MB down & 784K up. ADSL, enhanced package (which means I have 5 static IP addresses).

Just call me the Uber Geek.

Birth of Tha SYNDICATE, the philosophical heir to William Lloyd Garrison.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

[Fledermaus]

They are true numbers, I've read private numbers that are close to this.

My cable modem cost $39.95/month. Without their cable service it's $44.95/month. I was on dial-up with Compuserve for $24.95/month.

The $15 extra per month I pay is SO worth it over dialup. Especially since I'm a news junkie, write a lot, and can work more from home.

Even if some dial-ups are only $9.95/month, the extra $30 is STILL worth it. It's light years difference!

And hopefully the true conservatives in Congress will unregulate this broadband mess Billy Tauzin (RINO) and some liberal Dem has created by sucking up to AT&T. Fortunately it didn't work and AT&T finally sold their broadband, and thus the reason for the regulation they sought protect their billions, to Comcast.

Comcast is actively increasing market share and upgrading technology. Soon, the prices will come down or the service will expand greatly.

If your area is so much higher in cost, it's obvioulsy the added regulation from your state, not the Fed's. Write your Governor.

[Fledermaus]

Cable is somewhat faster than DSL, but they are close. The DSL in my area is about 600 kps while my cable modem is 762 kps.

Some argue the DSL goes down more than cable. Some argue the opposite. Some say DSL get's more clogged down when usuage is heavy while coaxial cable can handle more of the load.

I just know mine works well! lol

[Fledermaus]

In practical terms I can download a 1 megabyte file in way less than a minute, IF the server on the other end is on a fast connection.

Yeah, it still depends on the quality of the server you are trying to hit. For example, when Rush mentions a website, or FoxNews, or there is a link on Drudge...if the server isn't capable of handling the massive hits it starts to get it goes down.

[Fledermaus]

Yep, getting broadband at work and then having to go home and use 56K has to be a level of hell.

I not only got cable modem at home, I bought a whole new system and turned this baby into a lean, mean, fast machine!

[Bogey78O]

The Tauzin-Dingell bill is designed to deregulate it. Unless I'm getting it confused.

[Fledermaus]

Actually, the Internet has been around for decades...we average folks just didn't have access.

I remember the computer majors in 1978 at the Univ of Ark that had BBS services they accessed on the Soviet style mainframe they used! lol

I used remote computer access to message and process data with other company systems back in 1981 in the hotel business.

But I know what you mean. In 1993, a 500 room, 5 star hotel I went to work at had 2 pc's for the entire property. And they had the huge 64K memory!! Only when we got a Lotus spreadsheet so big our little system couldn't load it, they bought us a 1MG memory machine for $5,000!

We've come a long way baby...now get Congress out of the way and quit regualating something they don't even understand!

[fuzzthatwuz]

As an island resident of Washington state, what or where is "BFE Island"? Agree with you wholeheartedly, dial up connections are a joke!

[Bogey78O]

Actualy it's all based upon the backbone and how big your wallet is.

You can get DSL bandwidth that matches cable and vice versa. you just need to check the pricing.

And for the record my DSL has never gone down in over 1.35 years of service nor has it been clogged.

[Fledermaus]

Here, DSL providers and cable providers are roughly equal - they all really, really suck.

Comcast cable in my area is great with customer service. I had a major problem once and they calmly walked me through it all and in a way I could understand.

But I'm still trying to figure out how to use my free web page service, but I'm a geek with that stuff anyway.

[Bogey78O]

Bum Flunked Egypt....figure it out.

[Fledermaus]

You have never lived until you have connected at 2400 BAUD!!! HEHEHEHEHE I think I even connected at 300 once.

Awwwwww, the good old days!

[dennisw]

Two modem speed tests

http://tech.msn.com/internet/speedtest.asp

http://www.ba-hss.com/speedtest/speedtest500k.asp

Cable modem tweaks and patches:

http://www.speedguide.net/Cable_modems/cable_patches.shtml

Look in left hand column first five entries-->

http://www.speedguide.net/Cable_modems/cable_registry_advanced.shtml

[fuzzthatwuz]

"Bum Flunked Egypt....figure it out."

Considerate response to a valid question. Thanks for your generous input.