When it comes to obtaining internet service, there are quite a few options to choose from. Finding the package that best suits your needs can be difficult if you aren’t familiar with the amount of data your home typically requires during the average day or have no idea what kind of speed you’re looking for. Luckily, some internet service providers make the process easy by helping out each of their customers with purchasing the right services for them. If you’re lucky enough to work with an internet service provider you can trust, you won’t have to worry about paying for more than what you need.
Finding a provider that is honest in their work and knowledgeable about their craft can seem exhausting when going through years of dealing with poor customer service/support and lousy connections that are constantly failing. When the big guys make promises they can’t keep, it drives business right to the storefronts of the providers who actually care. ISPs that put focus on the customer experience are generally the ones with the most satisfied customers. It makes sense. Not only should a provider be able to communicate openly and efficiently with their clients, but they should also offer a nice selection of plans and packages.
A large number of ISPs offer both television and home phone in addition to internet service. Usually, with these providers, customers can get all three services at a discounted rate if they choose to purchase them together. This is typically known as a “bundle” and is probably a large player in why home phone service and cable TV are still a thing. If you are interested in bundling services, most providers let you choose the kind of internet service you want. There are a variety of options to choose from, but the four most common are undoubtedly DSL, cable, satellite, and fiber.
Whereas DSL and cable have been well-known and widely used for a good amount of time, satellite and fiber have just started gaining popularity. Thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet constellation Starlink, this type of internet service has begun to pick up. While it is one of the more pricey options, satellite internet service is alluring because it can reach rural areas where towers cease to be constructed. Satellite internet service is great for people who live in the “middle of nowhere” but still require the internet to do basic daily duties.
Fiber internet is another type of connection quickly gaining traction among residential communities. This kind of connection is transmitted by glass cables that run underneath the ground and use light particles to bounce the data to the end location. While fiber internet is new to the everyday consumer, the technology has been around for some time now. The first use of fiber optic cables in telecommunications was in the 1970s, and by the late 1980s, thousands of miles of cables were installed under the ocean to connect the U.S. with Europe.
Read about the different types of internet connections here.