Cable Speed Comparison
|
|
|
Bandwidth bps |
Activation |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable | RoadRunner | 3 million | $39.95 | $100 | 3,644 |
| Cable | @Home | 3 million | $39.95 | $140 | 3,409 |
| DSL | Bell Atlantic InfoSpeed | 7.1 million | $109.95 | $523 | 2,712 |
| DSL | Pacific Bell FasTrak DSL | 1.5 million | $129.00 | $198 | 605 |
| DSL | Bell Atlantic InfoSpeed | 640,000 | $39.95 | $523 | 449 |
| DSL | Pacific Bell FasTrak DSL | 384,000 | $39.00 | $198 | 406 |
| Dialup | Standard 56k modem | 53,000 | $27.00 | $49 | 100 |
| Wireless | Ricochet Original | 28,800 | $29.95 | $194 | 37 |
| CDPD | AT&T PocketNet | 19,200 | $54.99 | $144 | 17 |
| PCS Data | Pacific Bell PCS Data | 9,600 | $29.00 | $123.95 | 14 |
| Pager | PageMart | 6,400 | $13.95 | $179.95 | 13 |
| Pager | MetroCall | 6,400 | $15.95 | $189.95 | 11 |
|
source: Wired Magazine, May 1999 | |||||
| Connection Method | Transmission Speed | Characters per Second | Factor to 33.6 Modem | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33.6 Modem | 33.6 | 4,200 | 1 | 33.6Kbps |
| 33.6 Modem with 4 x compression | 134.4 | 16,800 | 4 | 134Kbps |
| X2 Modem | 56.6 | 7,075 | 1.7 | 56.6Kbps |
| ISDN (per channel) | 64 | 8,000 | 2 | 64Kbps |
| ISDN (2 channel) | 128 | 16,000 | 4 | 128Kbps |
| Satellite (Geo) | 10 | 1,250 | 0 | 10Kbps |
| T1 Leased Line | 2,000 | 250,000 | 60 | 2Mbps |
| Cable Modem | 4,000 | 500,000 | 119 | 4Mbps |
|
Notes:
33.6 modems may implement compression methods, doubling or even quadrupling their performance. Cable modem transmission speeds tend to be approximately half their receive speed. Send and receive speed is shown in 'thousands of bits per seconds' also expressed as Kpbs. Kbps = Kilobits per second (1,000 bits per second = 1Kbps) Mbps = Megabits per second (1,000,000 bits per second = 1Mbps) Factor shows approximate performance gain over a 33.6 modem. | ||||
| Source: Vicomsoft, November 1999 | ||||
| Connection Type | Cable Modem 4Mbps | Dial-up Modem 33.6Kbps | ISDN 128Kbps | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set-up Costs | ||||||
| Access charge | $0.00 | Unlimited | $ ? | Plan dependant | $? | Plan dependant |
| Modem cost | $0.00 | Rental included | $200.00 | $500.00 | ||
| Extra phone line | $0.00 | Not Required | $80.00 | $80.00 | ||
| Set-up fee | $150.00 | $30.00 | $150.00 | |||
| Total set-up costs | $150.00 | $310.00 | $730.00 | |||
| Monthly Costs | ||||||
| ISP fee | $45.00 | Not required | $25.00 | $50.00 | ||
| Call charges | $0.00 | Not required | $15.00 | $15.00 | ||
| Total per month | $45.00 | Not required | $40.00 | $65.00 | ||
| First Year Costs | $690.00 | $790.00 | $1510.00 | |||
| Monthly Equivalent | $57.70 | $65.83 | $125.83 | |||
|
Prices shown are averages drawn from various services and may vary in your area. Plan Dependant is where ISP's may have their own scale of charges for access time. | ||||||
| Source: Vicomsoft, November 1999 | ||||||