Low Income Broadband
Low Income Broadband FCC Changes:
On Tuesday the FCC voted unanimously to make changes to its low income Lifeline program. Lifeline currently provides discounts to low income households for wireless or landline telephone services.
The changes will allow the low income discounts to apply to bundled broadband services making high speed Internet services more affordable to many US households with low levels of income. The FCC proposal would dedicate $25 million to help provide broadband services to low-income families.
From the FCC website:
Lifeline and Link Up: Affordable Telephone Service for Income-Eligible Consumers
Background
The Lifeline program provides discounts on monthly telephone charges, and Link Up provides a discount on the cost of commencing telephone service for qualifying low-income households. Lifeline and Link Up are supported by the federal Universal Service Fund (USF). The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with the help of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), administers the USF. Here are some frequently asked questions about the Lifeline and Link Up programs.
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/lifeline-and-link-affordable-telephone-service-income-eligible-consumers
This program is part of the 9 billion dollar Universal Service Fund created in 1997 by the FCC to meet congressional mandates resulting from the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to subsidize telephone and Internet service in rural areas.
Additional discounts are available to qualified subscribers living on Tribal lands.
For more information on low-income support, visit www.universalservice.org/li
Motorola Surfboard SB6121
Motorola SURFboard SB6121
New updated model SB6121 replaces the popular Motorola SB6120 Surfboard DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem.
This is Motorola’s newest update to the DOCSIS 3.0 SB6120 that ISP 1 reviewed in our Motorola SB6120 review.
From personal experience, I can highly recommend the Motorola Surfbord line of cable modems. The newer DOCSIS 3.0 models are extremely fast due to the use of bonded download channels, and share the same reliability as the legendary DOCSIS 2.0 Motorola Surfboard line.
You can compare and check out current pricing on the Motorola SB6121 here.
Motorola SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem
Internet Blackout Over
SOPA Internet Blackout Over
The Internet protest opposing anti-piracy bills proposed by the US government is over.
Major Internet giants such as Google, Wikipedia and Reddid imposed blackouts or other means of voicing their extreme opposition to the new proposed SOPA/PIPA legislation.
These protests led to massive news coverage of the story and many legislators on both sides of the aisle are taking a new look at the proposed bills.
The laws are aimed at curbing Internet piracy, but would harm and censor some legitimate sites in their present form.
ISP 1 has provided the following links if you are interested in more information on this important issue affecting free and unrestricted Internet access.
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more
http://blog.reddit.com/2012/01/technical-examination-of-sopa-and.html
http://www.fsf.org/
https://www.google.com/
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/how-pipa-and-sopa-violate-white-house-principles-supporting-free-speech
http://imgur.com/blog/2012/01/16/imgur-joins-blackout/
http://blog.mozilla.com/blog/2012/01/17/mozilla-to-join-tomorrows-virtual-protests-of-pipasopa/
http://www.circleid.com/pdf/PROTECT-IP-Technical-Whitepaper-Final.pdf
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/16/1457237/house-kills-sopa
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120117/13254717438/lamar-smith-mpaa-brush-off-wikipedia-blackout-as-just-publicity-stunt.shtml
http://judiciary.house.gov/news/01172012.html
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Getting Broadband
Getting Broadband
Contact a provider in your area, which can be a local telephone company or other provider for DSL and fiber, a cable company for cable modem, a wireless or satellite company for wireless broadband, or an electrical utility for BPL.There are differences among broadband services, and the equipment of one provider may not work in another area or with another provider.Check with your broadband service provider for information on compatibility. Providers sometimes offer promotions or discounts on necessary equipment.
Prior to ordering service, check with the service provider to find out the cost and transmission speeds promised. Be aware that the actual transmission speeds you experience depend on many factors and may be less than the maximum potential speed stated by your provider. When you receive your contract, be aware of the fine print and the conditions of service. After receiving the service, contact your provider regarding any problems. Investigate obtaining service through a different provider if you are not pleased with your current service or provider.
A satellite provider may be able to provide broadband service to your home, even if other types of broadband services are not available in your community.If you are unable to obtain broadband service in your area, there may be several courses of action available to you.
You may want to contact your local library and see if it has applied for the federal E-rate program, which subsidizes broadband to libraries and schools.
You could contact local government officials such as your mayor, county executive, or town or county council members and ask what they can do to attract broadband service providers to your area. Because it is typically expensive to extend a broadband network to a new area, the more individuals that you can find to pre-subscribe to a provider’s service, the more likely it is that a broadband provider will choose to serve your area. Your county may be able to offer a broadband provider video franchise rights, making building out a broadband network more attractive to potential providers.
You also may want to talk with your state government or state public service commission to see what is being done or can be done to get broadband to your area. For contact information for your state public service commission, go to www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm.
Source http://www.fcc.gov/guides/getting-broadband
Types of Broadband
What Types of Broadband Are Available?
The following information comes from the FCC web site:
Broadband can be provided over different platforms:
The broadband technology you choose will depend on a number of factors. These include how broadband Internet access is packaged with other services (like voice telephone and home entertainment), price and service availability.
DSL is a wireline transmission technology that transmits data faster over traditional copper telephone lines already installed to homes and businesses. DSL-based broadband provides transmission speeds ranging from several hundred Kbps to millions of bits per second. The availability and speed of your DSL service may depend on the distance from your home or business to the closest telephone company facility.
The following are types of DSL transmission technologies:
- Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) – used primarily by residential customers, such as Internet surfers, who receive a lot of data but do not send much. ADSL typically provides faster speed in the downstream direction than the upstream direction. ADSL allows faster downstream data transmission over the same line used to provide voice service, without disrupting regular telephone calls on that line.
- Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) – used typically by businesses for services such as video conferencing. Downstream and upstream traffic speeds are equal. Faster forms of SDSL, typically available to businesses, include High-data-rate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL) and Very High-data-rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL).
To find out if DSL is available to your home, contact your local telephone companies or your state’s public service commission.
Cable modem service enables cable operators to provide broadband using the same coaxial cables that deliver pictures and sound to your TV set.
Most cable modems are external devices that have two connections, one to the cable wall outlet and the other to a computer. They provide transmission speeds of 1.5 Mbps or more.
You can still watch cable TV while using a cable modem service. Transmission speeds vary depending on the type of cable modem, cable network, and traffic load. Speeds are comparable to typical residential DSL.
To find out if cable modem service is available to your home, contact your local cable companies, local cable franchising authority (which may be part of your municipal or county government), or your state’s public service commission.
Fiber optic technology converts to light electrical signals carrying data and sends the light through transparent glass fibers about the diameter of a human hair. Fiber transmits data at speeds far exceeding current DSL or cable modem speeds, typically by tens or even hundreds of Mbps. The actual speed you experience, however, will vary depending upon a variety of factors, such as how close to your computer the service provider brings the fiber and how the service provider configures the service, including the amount of bandwidth used. The same fiber providing your broadband can also simultaneously deliver voice (VoIP) and video services, including video-on-demand.
Some network operators (mostly telephone companies) are offering fiber-based broadband in limited areas, expanding their fiber networks, and beginning to provide bundled voice, Internet access and video services.
To find out if fiber is available to your home, contact your local telephone companies or your state’s public service commission.
Wireless broadband can be mobile or fixed. Wireless fidelity (WiFi) is a fixed, short range technology that is often used in conjunction with DSL or cable modem service to connect devices within a home or business to the Internet.
WiFi connects a home or business to the Internet using a radio link between the customer’s location and the service provider’s facility. This fixed wireless broadband service is becoming more and more widely available at airports, city parks, bookstores, and other public locations called “hotspots.”
Fixed wireless technologies using longer range directional equipment can provide broadband service in remote or sparsely populated areas where other types of broadband would be too costly to provide. Speeds are generally comparable to DSL and cable modem service speeds. An external antenna is usually required. With newer services now being deployed (WiMax), a small antenna located inside a home near a window is usually adequate, and higher speeds are possible.
Mobile wireless broadband services, such as 3G, are also becoming available from mobile telephone service providers, such as cell phone companies, and others. These services generally require a special card with a built in antenna that plugs into a user’s laptop computer. Generally, they provide lower speeds, in the range of several hundred kbps.
To find out if wireless broadband is available to your home, contact your local wireless telephone companies or your state’s public service commission. You can also visit the following website that lists the wireless Internet service providers in your state: www.wispdirectory.com/.
Just as satellites orbiting the earth provide necessary links for telephone and television service, they can also provide links for broadband services. Satellite broadband is another form of wireless broadband and is particularly useful for serving remote or sparsely populated areas.
Downstream and upstream speeds for satellite broadband depend on several factors, including the provider and service package purchased, the consumer’s line of sight to the orbiting satellite, and the weather. Satellite service can be disrupted in extreme weather conditions. Typically a consumer can expect to receive (download) at a speed of about 1 Mbps and send (upload) at a speed of about 200 kbps. These speeds may be slower than DSL and cable modem, but the download speed is still much faster than the download speed with dial-up Internet access.
Obtaining satellite broadband can be more costly and involved than obtaining DSL or cable modem. A user must have:
- a two or three foot dish or base station – the most costly item;
- a satellite Internet modem; and
- a clear line of sight to the provider’s satellite.
To find out if satellite broadband is available to your home, contact broadband satellite companies or your state’s public service commission.
Broadband over Powerline (BPL)
BPL delivers broadband over the existing low and medium voltage electric power distribution network. BPL speeds are comparable to DSL and cable modem speeds. BPL can be provided to homes using existing electrical connections and outlets.
BPL is an emerging technology, currently available in very limited areas. It has significant potential because power lines are installed virtually everywhere, alleviating the need to build new broadband facilities to every customer.
To find out if BPL is available to your home, contact your electric utility or your state’s public service commission. You can also visit the following website to obtain a list of BPL providers:www.bpldatabase.org.
Source http://www.fcc.gov/guides/getting-broadband
Advantages of Broadband
What Are The Advantages of Broadband?
Many ISP 1 readers ask “Why Should I Switch to Broadband”, The following is a quote from the FCC web site.
“Broadband allows you to take advantage of new services not available or not convenient to use with a dial-up Internet connection. One such service is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), an alternative to traditional voice telephone service that may be less costly for you depending on your calling patterns.
Some VoIP services only allow you to call other people using the same service, but others allow you to call anyone who has a telephone number – including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers.
Broadband makes “telemedicine” possible: patients in rural areas can confer online with medical specialists in more urban areas and share information and test results very quickly.
Broadband helps you efficiently access and use many reference and cultural resources, such as library and museum data bases and collections. You also need broadband to best take advantage of many distance learning opportunities, like online college or university courses, and continuing or senior education programs. Broadband is an important tool for expanding educational and economic opportunities for consumers in remote locations.
In addition to these new services, broadband allows you to shop on-line and Web surf more quickly and efficiently. Downloading and viewing videos and photos on your computer are much faster and easier. With broadband you can access the Internet by turning on your computer without needing to dial up your Internet Service Provider (ISP) over a telephone line, which permits you to use the Internet without tying up your telephone line. As of June 2007, more than 100 million broadband connections were deployed in the United States.”
Source http://www.fcc.gov/guides/getting-broadband
You can also read the following ISP 1 articles for more information on “What Are The Advantages of Broadband?”.
Broadband Internet Articles
- Broadband Internet FAQ
- Broadband Internet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Why use High Speed Internet? – How does broadband work? – What are the Advantages of Using Broadband? – How do I Connect to Broadband High Speed Internet …
- What is High Speed Internet?
- High speed Internet, popularly referred to as broadband Internet is a faster and more improved form of getting various types of information over the Internet to an end user. Broadband is usually compared with dial-up Internet access which is basically …
- High-Speed Broadband Access
- High-speed Internet access or “broadband” allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than …
How Does Broadband Work?
How Does Broadband Work?
Another popular ISP 1 reader question is “How Does Broadband Work?”
The FCC provides the following description:
“Broadband allows users to access information via the Internet using one of several high-speed transmission technologies. Transmission is digital, meaning that text, images, and sound are all transmitted as “bits” of data. The transmission technologies that make broadband possible move these bits much more quickly than traditional telephone or wireless connections, including traditional dial-up Internet access connections.
Once you have a broadband connection to your home or business, devices such as computers can be attached to this broadband connection by existing electrical or telephone wiring, coaxial cable or wireless devices.”
Source http://www.fcc.gov/guides/getting-broadband
For more information on “How Does Broadband Work?“.
Broadband Internet Articles
- Broadband Internet FAQ
- Broadband Internet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Why use High Speed Internet? – How does broadband work? – What are the Advantages of Using Broadband? – How do I Connect to Broadband High Speed Internet …
- What is High Speed Internet?
- High speed Internet, popularly referred to as broadband Internet is a faster and more improved form of getting various types of information over the Internet to an end user. Broadband is usually compared with dial-up Internet access which is basically …
- High-Speed Broadband Access
- High-speed Internet access or “broadband” allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than …
Feel Free To Comment.
What is Broadband?
What Is Broadband?
Many ISP 1 visitors ask this question. The following excerpt is from the FCC website.
“Broadband or high-speed Internet access allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than those available through dial-up Internet access services. Broadband speeds vary significantly depending on the particular type and level of service ordered and may range from as low as 200 kilobits per second (kbps), or 200,000 bits per second, to six megabits per second (Mbps), or 6,000,000 bits per second. Some recent offerings even include 50 to 100 Mbps. Broadband services for residential consumers typically provide faster downstream speeds (from the Internet to your computer) than upstream speeds (from your computer to the Internet).”
Source http://www.fcc.gov/guides/getting-broadband
You can also read the following ISP 1 articles for more information on “What Is Broadband?”.
Broadband Internet Articles
- Broadband Internet FAQ
- Broadband Internet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Why use High Speed Internet? – How does broadband work? – What are the Advantages of Using Broadband? – How do I Connect to Broadband High Speed Internet …
- What is High Speed Internet?
- High speed Internet, popularly referred to as broadband Internet is a faster and more improved form of getting various types of information over the Internet to an end user. Broadband is usually compared with dial-up Internet access which is basically …
- High-Speed Broadband Access
- High-speed Internet access or “broadband” allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than …
Verizon 4G LTE
Verizon 4G LTE – Not the Most Reliable?
Within the past three weeks Verizon Wireless customers, those with 4G LTE smart phones such as the HTC Thunderbolt and the new Motorola RAZR, have been experiencing some major upsets in the 4G LTE network.
Verizon prides itself on being the “nation’s most reliable wireless network”. So what’s the deal?
On December 21st, Verizon officials admitted to the third problem this month, and explained it was limited to 4G customers. As a Verizon 4G LTE customer myself, I have been experiencing these problems and when I spoke to Verizon they explained that switching the 4G phone (I own a Motorola RAZR) over to 3G might fix the problem. It didn’t. A blog by Phillip Dampier from Stop the Cap! Explains that many LTE customers received the same advice and it still did not fix the problem. 3G will not stay enabled.
Customers can still make calls and send text messages but the 4G Internet access is blotchy and unreliable. This can make communication hard due to the fact that e-mail and many apps need access to the Internet to run correctly.
Verizon claims that the problem will be fixed this morning. “Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today,” the company said in a statement. “Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally.”
Verizon customers have faith in the company due to its tremendous success and clean track record thus far. Sources point to the problem being associated with a patch or software upgrade.
LTE is fairly new and still improving, so Verizon LTE customers including myself will just have to be patient while they work out all the bugs. In the meantime service credits are available on request from the Verizon customer service center.
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Free Wifi in Airports
Happy Holidays from Skype!
Skype, an Internet video call service, is bringing holiday cheer to many Americans this season. Skype recently announced that they will be offering free Wifi in over 65 airports in the country. While a great tool for travelers…it will only be available December 2st through the 27th.
To access the free Wifi you must have a free Skype account, then follow these steps:
“Once you launch the Skype app and sign in, follow these instructions.
- Go to Tools > Options > Skype Wi-Fi Access
- Check Enable Skype WiFi Access
- Connect to a WiFi public hotspot
- In the Skype menu bar, click Tools > Skype WiFi Access
- Follow the instructions on the screen to select and join a compatible public WiFi network.”
(CBS News)
While you are traveling and staying connected to family, make sure to be safe because you are on a public network. Turn off all file sharing and don’t share any person information such as SS numbers, passwords or credit card information.
Happy Travels!
