by Cristo

Created on: July 15, 2008

A quick glance at best ISPs

Internet has become an imperative element of our life. Many of us spend hours in Virtual world, were everything is available just a mouse click away. The arrival of World Wide Web was the key to a new door called IT revolution. It changed almost everything to be specific our basic lifestyle.

With Advancements in science and technology, many new gadgets have arrived. Today's generation no more prefer sending simple text mails, when there is an option to send mails with rich text. Only, bottle neck to accommodate all latest technology into networking was "bandwidth". Today's customers demand for speed. This article summarizes the best high speed internet providers around the globe.

1. Verizon FiOS: - Verizon's FiOS fiber-optic network gets the highest customer satisfaction, reliability and speed scores in major surveys. For $50 per month, downstream speeds are rated at 15 Mbps - compared with 3.0 Mbps to 6.0 Mbps speeds of cable and DSL. Upstream speeds - which determine how quickly you can send e-mail, photo and video files - are far faster as well. The upshot is that if FiOS is available in your area, it's easily the best Internet service provider. A slower 5.0 Mbps service (*est. $40) and faster 30 Mbps service (*est. $180) are also available, and still faster 50 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds are available in some areas. Installation is free with a one-year contract.

2. Cablevision: - Cablevision's Optimum Online service has blazingly fast speed of up to 30 Mbps. Connection reliability and customer services are also above average, according to PC World. If Optimum Online isn't available in your area, EarthLink is a more widely available alternative, but it's not as fast and customer service is spotty.

3. AT&T Basic DSL: - AT&T's new budget DSL has a maximum downstream speed of just 768 Kbps. While far slower than other broadband services, basic AT&T Yahoo! DSL service is still 15 times faster than a dial-up connection. And because it is DSL, your connection to the Internet is always on.

4. NetZero or Juno dial-up: - NetZero and Juno (which are owned by the same parent company) offer a free dial-up Internet connection for up to ten hours each month. In exchange for a free ISP, you'll have to contend with advertising on your computer screen while browsing. Once your ten hours are up, you'll be charged about $10 a month for ad-free access.

5. PeoplePC dial-up: - People PC is considerably less expensive. Unlike a free ISP like Juno, PeoplePC gives you unlimited access. The basic plan gives you four e-mail addresses, a popup blocker and virus protection.

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