DSL ISPs Cable Companies Dialup Internet Service Providers
The high-speed competition
Some non-competitors
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Introduction
To be honest, analog modems stink. Analog phone lines stink. We've been using them because nothing better has been available, but that's changing. "Is there anything faster than 56K?" Absolutely. All of the technologies in this section are several times to many times faster than 56K. "Is there anything faster than 56K that works with my existing single analog phone line? and my phone company's existing switches?" No, and that's the catch. All of these technologies will require a different kind of line coming into your house, or a satellite dish to bring in wireless signals. The DSLs are in exception, in that they use your existing copper phone lines, but they require your phone company to replace its switches. These technologies cost more than 56K, though the extra cost is sometimes marginal: only an extra twenty dollars or so per month for cable modems. Another catch is that none of these products offers faxing, so you'll still need an analog fax modem or a standalone fax machine. Most of the faster technologies are big on potential, but frustratingly low on availability. ISDN is the only widely available consumer technology that's faster than 56K, and is a good choice if it's available and affordable. Some of these technologies, especially cable modems and DSL, will undoubtedly become more popular in the future, but analog modems and analog phone lines will be connecting most people to the Internet for a long time to come. A report from Jupiter Communications predicts that by the year 2000, of the U.S. homes with Internet access:
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