by Fritz Bueno

Created on: August 12, 2008

Almost everyone would find a reason to connect to the Internet. Whether it is for work, school, or just simply for entertainment purposes, people will find the Internet a one-stop-shop for almost anything.

Several years ago, Internet connection was thought to be only for those who can afford it because the subscription packages are quite steep and the speed then was just a maximum of 56kbps dial up connection speed. If you compare that to the broadband speeds, it is very, very slow.

But now, there is a lot of competing Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, that provide high-speed Internet connection at varying prices plus additional premium services. Let's take a look at the different Internet providers and you decide for yourself.

Road Runner Cable
The household name in cable television, Time Warner Cable, now also offers high-speed Internet under the name Road Runner. Road Runner provides Internet connection using the coaxial cable line with speeds ranging from 3Mbps to 20Mbps. The fee for the cable modem is already included in the monthly subscription fee. At times, Road Runner has a promo for new subscribers where in they can have the cable modem for free. Also, each subscriber will also be given one Road Runner email address by default. The subscriber has the option to add additional email addresses without extra costs. Road Runner Cable service starts at $29.95 per month.

Comcast Cable
Another leading cable Internet provider is Comcast. Comcast also makes use of the coaxial cable to distribute Internet data to its subscribers at a speed of up to 16Mbps. Comcast subscribers also get an email address by default. Subscription to Comcast starts at $19.99 per month and may come with a free cable modem, depending on the ongoing promotion. Comcast provides free technical support to all its subscribers in case they encounter some issues or if they simply want to inquire about something.

Verizon DSL
The other type of broadband Internet is DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, where Internet data passes through the phone line. But unlike dial up connection, DSL does not disconnect the telephone service when Internet is on. One of the leading DSL providers is Verizon. Verizon DSL speeds range from 384kbps to 5Mbps. Subscription packages start from $14.99 per month, and this already comes with 9 email accounts and the ability to set up a website with 10MB of free space.

Qwest DSL
Qwest is another leading player in the DSL arena. It offers several speeds to customers depending on purpose from 1.5 Mbps to 12Mbps. Subscription fees start at $14.99 per month and the price is guaranteed fixed for one year. Each Internet subscription also comes with Windows Live email account. Installation cost is only $9.99 but self-installation is also encouraged as it is free and easy to do. Qwest is confident with its services that it offers 30-day money-back guarantee.

There are several other high-speed Internet providers; all of them have similar offerings as the above-mentioned companies. They slightly differ in prices, speeds and additional services offered, but all the same, they provide fast Internet service.

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