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[Thunder Monkey]

1.5Mbps here.

Small town Kansas gets less, and pays so much more.

*That speed costs $50 smakeroos a month here in podunk.

 

[Shogmaster]

256kbps is slow.

But at the same time, for normal web browsing, it's actually ok. I'm certainly not downloading NeoGAF at my rated 25mbit.

And for a lot of people... that's all they need, tiny bit of web browsing and some emails.

Granted, it's gonna be slow compared to a modern 10mbit connection, but you know... it's still 5-10 times faster than what they're getting with dialup. Yes, it still exists!

I once helped out a friend to reinstall Windows on her computer. She said she had
"broadband" so I figured I didn't need to download the service packs beforehand and just headed over.

Turns out that her "broadband" was 256kbps service from cox cable (yes, you read that right. The fucking cable company was charging her $15 month for this "service"). What would have take hour or two took me ALL NIGHT. I left her place around midnight.

And no, I didn't get any for my troubles.

 

[Goldrusher]

Broadband my ass.

It should be measured not only by speed, but capacity as well.

In my country (Flanders (forget about Belgium)), two big providers - one cable, one ADSL - have a duopoly over the market and use it to jack up prices skyhigh as well as enforce a ridiculously low bandwith cap.

cable
42 euro for 10mb/512k limited to 12GB per month
65 euro for 20mb/1mb limited to 35GB per month
ADSL
42 euro for 4mb/256k limited to 12GB per month

Only alternative for most people are a bunch of "alternative providers" (lol) offering 80GB or sometimes even unlimited ADSL, but for most people the speed is barely 3mbps. Higher ADSL(2+) speeds are only available in a select number of cities, downtowns mostly.

In all neighbouring countries, a similar speed connection doesn't have a bandwith cap and only costs ~25 euro.

It's sickening.

Broadband =/= speed.

 

[milanbaros]

Live in the UK and I'm quite happy with my speed atm (4mbps) because I actually get that speed since the exchange is less than a 100m away.

Its doubling to 8mbps later this week but I think that's the limit on ADSL here.

I've seen better speeds advertised but I think they're for cable or the new fiber cables. Not too sure though.

 

[FoxSpirit]

Well, this made me go and check out the current offers of my provider and.... HOLY FU SH!!
I am paying €50 for a service I can now have for €30!!

Okay, actually I am not since the deal I have isn't even available anymore. For 20 bucks less I'll get 4 times the speed!! Okay, will have to change this ASAP.

 

[uaeroht]

You got at least one of Telia's offers wrong, they offer 8/0.8

Says on their website they offer "6-8 Mbit/s", but that's only the DL.

Sorry my bad. Forgot the 0. Although, I have a "Beta"-version of Telia that's 8/8. I wasn't thinking about that. I'll fix it.

 

[Naked Snake]

At home I'm on 128kpbs :lol

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Are you sure you meant to put the emphasis on that particular word?

Baby steps man, baby steps.

I'd like to thank stumpo and phoenix for heading off "why should telcos have to meet your selfish needs" and "bububu population density" respectively. To pre-empt another typically bruited bit of silliness, we are by no means close to the "fast enough" point.

 

[Wilsongt]

Dial-Up represent!

...


...

The end of the month needs to hurry up. I'll be upgrading then.

 

[Kritz]

$70 a month for 1.5mbps (With 256kbps upload) with a shitty 12GB cap. Go Australia. (No ADSL2 where I live, either.)

 

[captive]

Is there any way to find out AT&T's plan for rolling out fiber? Some parts of Houston have it and some parts dont. Every time i go there and enter my zip code all i get offered is DSL

 

[hiryu]

But what does that have to do with delivering broadband at high speed within the limited confines of a city.

Fuck that, how about delivering some high speed internet to smaller cities and rural homes. Every home in the US should have the option of a reasonable high speed connection just like every house can get power and telephone service. This shit should of been put in place years ago instead of letting our country lag behind.

 

[hiryu]

The US is chock full of 'em I don't believe anyone is looking for broadband in the middle of the corn fields any more than they are out in the rolling fields of Europe.

Wrong, the fact is the US is spread out and there are great swatches of land where plenty of people live but there is nothing but crap offered for broadband. Ohio is a great example of this and the state has lost tax revenue from businesses who have moved because they can't get proper internet connections. One of Stricklands running points was bringing broadband to everyone in Ohio but he has yet to do anything about it.

 

[Phoenix]

Fuck that, how about delivering some high speed internet to smaller cities and rural homes. Every home in the US should have the option of a reasonable high speed connection just like every house can get power and telephone service. This shit should of been put in place years ago instead of letting our country lag behind.

I don't disagree at all. But if you can't deliver it within a large metro, chance of them expanding to include smaller cities where they make less money on investment is almost out of the question. This is why I long for Wimax and similar to show up.

I'm trying to get business grade cable modem in an office environment and its going to take 45-90 days just for Comcast to get off their ass and provide it. Consequently my options fall to 'slow ass T1 or relatively slow ass DSL'.

 

[Phoenix]

Wrong, the fact is the US is spread out and there are great swatches of land where plenty of people live but there is nothing but crap offered for broadband. Ohio is a great example of this and the state has lost tax revenue from businesses who have moved because they can't get proper internet connections. One of Stricklands running points was bringing broadband to everyone in Ohio but he has yet to do anything about it.

Add up the population that lives in ALL of the rural areas of the United States, then add up the population that lives in just one of the largest cities in America.

 

[hiryu]

I'm not asking for fios or anything. Just a basic cable connection would be nice. As you mentioned WiMax could be a great solution but it's just a pipe dream at the moment.

 

[Photon]

I have FiOS 16/2 right now, and feel like it's overkill. I have never really used more than 2MB down.

Er, 16/2 _IS_ 2 MB down. 16 megabits=2 megabytes

 

[surazal]

What good will increasing the speed do if all the ISPs are moving towards monthly bandwidth usage caps and heavy fines for overusage.

Time Warner experiment: 40GB/month for $55
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...-month-time-warner-bandwidth-caps-arrive.html

Comcast considers enforcing their 250GB/month cap with $15 per 10GB overuse charge
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...ered-access-250gb-monthly-bandwidth-caps.html

AT&T considers following the other two
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilciDat1u4Hehg7G3lpOGQ_aaWCwD918P12G1

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

What good will increasing the speed do if all the ISPs are moving towards monthly bandwidth usage caps and heavy fines for overusage.

Time Warner experiment: 40GB/month for $55
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...-month-time-warner-bandwidth-caps-arrive.html

Comcast considers enforcing their 250GB/month cap with $15 per 10GB overuse charge
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...ered-access-250gb-monthly-bandwidth-caps.html

AT&T considers following the other two
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilciDat1u4Hehg7G3lpOGQ_aaWCwD918P12G1

Damn, this sucks ass.

Perhaps I should stick with my slow ass DSL.. at least I wont be getting any caps.

I do download a lot of shit.

 

[Kapsama]

i'd just like to take this moment and say FUCK DSL. what a shit technology. but good try, guys!

Why?

 

[Shogmaster]

Why?

I think he's been watching those cable company ads.

 

[«þ»]

heavy fines for overusage.
....
$15 per 10GB overuse charge

As I mentioned earlier, most ISPs in Australia charge in the vicinity of 10-15c a megabyte for overusage.

That's $100-$150 a gigabyte.

And Australia's Dollar is almost at parity with the US.

 

[TheRipDizz]

How come my cable provider says I get 6MB, but consistant speeds are around 660kbps with ocasional spikes of 1/ 1.5MBps and they tell me that's normal? WTF?

 

[Hunter D]

I would be happy with 3mbps up/ 5mbps down at $35 a month.

 

[Rur0ni]

How come my cable provider says I get 6MB, but consistant speeds are around 660kbps with ocasional spikes of 1/ 1.5MBps and they tell me that's normal? WTF?

6144kBps / 8 = 768kbps. Minus overhead... :O

Really gotta clarify the kB/kb thing.

 

[Hunter D]

double post.

 

[Fjolle]

I always thought that broadband was about the frequency range that the connection used...

Spoiler

and im not gonna flash my e-peen inhere