Cable Internet

What is Cable Internet?

Cable Internet is a High Speed Internet access over the TV cable network. Cable operators provides broadband using the same coaxial cables that deliver pictures and sound to your TV set. They provide transmission speeds of 1.5 Mbps or more. The actual bandwidth for Internet service over a cable TV line is up to 27 Mbps on the download path to the subscriber with about 2.5 Mbps of bandwidth for interactive responses in the other direction. However, since the local provider may not be connected to the Internet on a line faster than a T-carrier system at 1.5 Mpbs, a more likely data rate will be close to 1.5 Mpbs.

Subscribers can access their cable modem service simply by turning on their computers without dialing-up an ISP. You can still watch cable TV while using it. Transmission speeds vary depending on the type of cable modem, cable network, and traffic load. Speeds are comparable to DSL.

How Cable Internet Works?

Through the use of a cable modem you can have a broadband Internet connection that is designed to operate over cable TV lines. Cable Internet works by using TV channel space for data transmission, with certain channels used for downstream transmission, and other channels for upstream transmission. Because the coaxial cable used by cable TV provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access to the Web. This, combined with the fact that millions of homes are already wired for cable TV, has made cable Internet service something cable TV companies have really jumped onboard with.

Cable vs. DSL

Speed

DSL provides speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to 1.5Mbps. Cable modem download speeds are typically up to 2 times faster than 1.5Mbps DSL. But cable technology is based on shared bandwidth, with many factors influencing a users download speed. With shared bandwidth the speed fluctuates depending on the number of subscribers on the network. With DSL, the connection is yours and not shared, and you tend to have a more constant speed.

Price

For cable you could expect this fee to be anywhere from $50 to $100, while the cost for DSL installation is a bit more and could run up to $150 for set-up. Once the installation is completed, you will usually pay for your Internet subscription on a monthly basis. Cable, again, is usually a bit cheaper with monthly fees averaging $40 to $50. You can expect to pay about $5 to $10 more a month for DSL servce.

Cable Internet Providers

Comcast Hig Speed Internet for $19.99 a month for 6 months

• First 6 months for as low as $19.99 per month
• Free Motorola Cable Modem
• $150 Cash Back
• PowerBoostT!
• Speeds up to 6 Mbps
• Save even more with Comcast Triple Play
• No Contract or Credit Card Required

Cox High Speed Internet for $19.95 per month!

• Fast, always-on connection
• $75 Cash Back
• Send and receive 10mb email messages
• WebMail and 7 email addresses
• 70mb of personal WebSpace
• Great features like spam protection, home networking, and more to come!
• And no long-term contracts, try us and see what fast is

Mediacom High-Speed Internet for $19.95 a month for 1 year

• $50 Cash Back
• Free PC Security Tools
• No Contract or Credit Card Required
• $29.95 Professional lnstallation
• Up to 128 times faster than dial-up.*
  

Road Runner High Speed Online for $29.95 a month for 6 months

• Road Runner High Speed Online for $29.95 a month
• Free Motorola® Modem (after mail-in rebate)
• Free installation
• No Contract
• Up to triple the speed of standard DSL package and up to 100x faster than dial-up
• 30-day money back guarantee