# "Broadband" net access **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040 "2003-10-07T12:44:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fillepe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/898d66/32.png) [@Fillepe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fillepe)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/1 "2003-10-07T12:44:48Z")
I didn’t think this was really worthy of GQ despite being a question per se. For all the US dopers and for that matter anyone form a country other than little old New Zealand. I want to know how much you pay for broadband net access. In new zealand we get the corperate cockshaft from the ONE yes that is right one provider of ADSL internet. I mean seriously upwards of $65 a month for 15Gb of traffic at 128kbps. And that is as cheap as it gets. (bear in mind that is $NZ, roughly 0.55 US cents to a NZ dollar) I’d like a comparison between these (extortionate) prices and all you foriegn types. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/2 "2003-10-07T13:00:21Z")
I’m paying about $43 (U.S.) a month for cable Internet access (plus $3 a month to rent the modem), which gives me a connection up in the 1.5mbps range (it’s tough to measure actual speed, since that depends upon the load on the server that’s coughing up the material, the amount of traffic on the 'net, etc.). There’s no specified limit on how much traffic I’m allowed per month, but they clearly don’t want you setting up your business website on that connection, and generating a huge load. Basically, it’s unlimited until they scream “Enough, already!” and cut you off. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/3 "2003-10-07T13:16:29Z")
I spend $45 US a month for unlimited traffic. I think upstream is 128kbs, but downstream is at least 3Mbps, maybe up to 5. My best downloads are usually something like 3 or 4 hundred bps. When I used to use P2P applications, I’d have many simultaneous downloads, each with many sources, and that’s the only time I’d see my link being used in the megabit-per-sec range. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/4 "2003-10-07T13:38:06Z")
$34.95 US a month 1500kps downstream 128 upstream, unlimited traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/5 "2003-10-07T13:39:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > **…[D]ownstream is at least 3Mbps, maybe up to 5.** Wow! What kind of connection is that?! A T1 line maxes out at, I believe, 1.5Mbps, and the average home DSL or cable connection is only in the 640kbps to 1.5Mbps range. A T3 connection, at something approaching 45Mbps, would be faster, but I don’t know of any connection that would give you 3-5Mbps downstream. For a speed test, check out [http://www.toast.net/performance](http://www.toast.net/performance). It’s not very precise, and the results may be influenced by a lot of other variables, but it should give you at least some idea of what kind of speed you’re actually getting. _fixed link (moved period outside URL tag) - ub_ ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/6 "2003-10-07T14:11:28Z")
$34.95 US a month 1500kps downstream 128 upstream, unlimited traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/7 "2003-10-07T14:21:01Z")
If I wanted to deal with Rogers Cable, I could get 3 Mb/s downstream, 256kb/s upstream (I think) over cable for CAD 65.00 per month. Bell Telephone offers DSL at 1 Mb/s downstream for around CAD 45.00 per month… but they don’t serve my building. ☹ And there’re 7 or 8 apartments in the building who’s snap it up if it was offered. You can get wireless DSL for about the same price from Look.ca—but you have to be line-of-sight to the CN Tower or one of their retransmitters–and I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/8 "2003-10-07T14:21:47Z")
$34.95 US a month 1500kps downstream 128 upstream, unlimited traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/9 "2003-10-07T14:28:54Z")
And let me add… There’s a [high-profile condo development](http://www.cityplace.ca/) downtown where every apartment has _100 megabit per second_ access. No idea of the price though. I’m _seriously_ jealous. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/10 "2003-10-07T14:39:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > \*\*Wow! What kind of connection is that?! A T1 line maxes out at, I believe, 1.5Mbps, and the average home DSL or cable connection is only in the 640kbps to 1.5Mbps range. A T3 connection, at something approaching 45Mbps, would be faster, but I don’t know of any connection that would give you 3-5Mbps downstream. > > For a speed test, check out [http://www.toast.net/performance](http://www.toast.net/performance). It’s not very precise, and the results may be influenced by a lot of other variables, but it should give you at least some idea of what kind of speed you’re actually getting. > _fixed link (moved period outside URL tag) - ub_ \*\* Sorry, forget to mention it’s cable modem. I just got 2586 K from the test you linked to (I used the ND server). ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/11 "2003-10-07T14:50:17Z")
And more info I should have added the first time around: my ISP is Adelphia cable. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/12 "2003-10-07T14:57:51Z")
I guess this too: “$34.95 US a month 1500kps downstream 128 upstream, unlimited traffic.” Includes Usenet unlimited. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/13 "2003-10-07T15:17:29Z")
I think I pay $40 a month or so for my cable modem access, which is 1.5 megabits down and (I think) 384K up. ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/14 "2003-10-07T15:27:04Z")
I think there are regional variations or, more likely, differences between urban and rural areas. In Los Angeles, where I live, I pay $39/month for what maxes out at 84 kbytes/sec download (I’m not sure whether people are reporting bits or bytes per second). Some relatives of mine in the boonies of Illinois pay a little less than $100/month for their DSL. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/15 "2003-10-07T15:28:19Z")
So far, I think **Revtim** wins the prize for best value for dollar! (And thanks, **UncleBeer** , for fixing my link.) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/16 "2003-10-07T15:45:29Z")
It isn’t all good. It goes goes through stretches where it’s unreliable and does down a lot. Also, they block some ports on the incoming side, so I can’t run an FTP server (but maybe a lot of ISPs do that). And since it’s getting to be too much a risk to use P2P, there’s very little that happens over a couple hundred kbps. It’s only when there’s a lot of files with a lot of sources downloading that I ever approach anything higher, and that doesn’t happen with other apps. Still, it’s good to know I pretty much cannot overload my downstream link. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/17 "2003-10-07T15:48:02Z")
I use Charter. 768K/128K for $39.95 They’re selling their franchise in my town to a company called American Broadband so I have no idea what the future will hold. Jon ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/18 "2003-10-07T19:45:40Z")
Coincidentally, I just got an email today that says “we will be increasing the speeds available to our Power Link high-speed internet customers to up to 3 megabytes-per-second downloads and up to 256 kilobytes-per-second uploads” (Power Link is was Adelphia calls its cable modem service). Note that it says mega **bytes** and not bits. If I had not been sure that I’d already seen 5 mega **bits** , I would have thought this was a typo, and they meant bits. I suppose it’s still possible that it’s a typo, and either I’m mis-remembering or my speed that time was a fluke. But if this is true, then I’ll be getting 24 megabits per sec ! ---
**Author:** ![Mastema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mastema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mastema)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/19 "2003-10-07T21:33:50Z")
1.6 MB/s Downstream and 786 KB/s Upstream ADSL for $41.95. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040/20 "2003-10-07T21:50:37Z")
“1.6 MB/s Downstream and 786 KB/s Upstream ADSL for $41.95.” That is interesting cause my local ISP charges $169/month for adsl, but $34.95 for ‘upto 1500’ DSL. Is Adsl really that much better than Dsl? On [fatwallet.com](http://fatwallet.com) in the deal forum there are a few topics on the best DSL/cable deals & what people are paying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broadband-net-access/206040.md?page=2)