Best Internet Service Providers in the US

How to find the Best Internet Plans & services based on your usage?

“I recently bought a UPS battery pack that can provide back-up in case of an outage. The only device it powers is the internet router.”

These words of an unnamed consumer in the Mid-West perhaps sum up the importance the internet has come to occupy in our lives. One minute it is not available and we start gasping for breath, figuratively of course. It has become almost as important as oxygen.

The internet, that vast network of interconnected computing devices, used by governments, corporations, individuals, educational institutions and others, that makes it possible for them to communicate with each other. That lets you send an email to a colleague in Madagascar and allows you to order books online.

In most American households, internet access is now taken for granted. Usually in conjunction with a wireless access system that enables a connection from anywhere within a certain range of the router. More and more services are using the high-speed network that provides internet connectivity. VOIP telephony, which uses the internet connectivity, has been growing, while traditional copper-wire telephony has been receding. VOIP has now overtaken traditional copper-wire telephony and is poised to continue to grow.

Before we get to providers, we will try and create a basic understanding of the internet.

Types of Internet Connections

Those who recollect connecting to the internet for the first time in the nineties, might recall that it was through a dial-up method they had established the connection. We may not have realized it at the time, but it was a slow connection, our screen slowly filling up with colors and information as data packets came through that line. Today, a dial-up, though technically still available as a connection option, is not even considered when we discuss the types of internet connections.

The four main types of internet services provided by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are:

Cable

At this point this is perhaps the most widespread network as it rides on the same coaxial cable network laid out for reaching television to your house many years back. While even TV consumption is migrating to the internet, with consumers preferring the personalization offered by streaming services, cable TV is still widespread. It provides a cost-effective option for delivering the internet through the same cable to your house. Providers offer bundles that include TV as well as internet, making it attractive for consumers. Perhaps on account of being a legacy network, it is a cost-effective proposition and can provide competitive download speeds.

DSL

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line and rides on the telephone network that delivers wired telephony to your house. As it uses frequencies not used by the telephone, you can use both the internet and telephone simultaneously. The ‘asymmetrical DSL’ technology is the preferred technology for DSL internet connections as they allow greater bandwidth for downloads as compared to uploads, preferred by almost all household users.

DSL is widely available as it uses an existing network and comes at reasonable costs. As opposed to cable, where neighbors might be sharing the last-mile cable, leading to a degradation of service as more users get connected, DSL provides a dedicated circuit for each user. However, DSL is not able to offer the speeds required by modern applications and some of the other types of internet services.

Satellite

While laying down cable networks is a viable option for service providers in densely populated areas, as the cost can be spread over a large number of users, in areas with a lower population density, it could become prohibitively expensive.

For serving these areas, delivering internet through satellite remains the most viable option. This is done by routing the information through geostationary (stationery with respect to the Earth) satellites with controllers on the ground.

To a user, there is no difference whether internet is being delivered through satellite or cable, since satellite is able to deliver competitive bandwidth and speed. The only difference is in what is called latency, because of the distance the data has to travel, that delays the initiation of the transportation by a fraction. This is not noticeable in a majority of day-to-day functions, but you might feel the difference in some applications like gaming.

Fiber

A fiber connection uses fiber, or fiber-optic, cables, to deliver internet, as opposed to the copper wire used by Cable and DSL. Fiber is a newer technology which use light signals to send data to and from your computer and is faster and more reliable. It can carry data over much longer distances with no or reltively lower distortion.

Cable offers great download speeds but lags on upload. As does asymmetrical DSL. Fiber offers matching download and upload speeds. It has low latency and low packet loss. For network heavy applications like gaming and videoconferencing, fiber is likely to provide a better experience.

Like all good things, fiber internet plans will be more expensive. The fiber network is relatively new. Providers are still in the process of expanding and laying out the network. 

Choosing an Internet Services Provider (ISP)

“I want the best quality at the cheapest price” is how consumers might state their method of buying a product. Implicit with that statement is the relevance for that consumer’s need. An online gamer’s need is very different from the need of a person who mainly needs to send and receive email messages.

Cost is a reasonably transparent parameter, though one must take care to ensure that one accounts for elements of hidden cost as well, like installation charges or additional charges for any devices that are required.

Quality not as transparent, since there are at least two different parameters

Speed

This is based on your planned usage. Gaming, videoconferencing and movies are generally the applications that need the best download and upload speeds. Also, the number of people that will be consuming the bandwidth of that connection. The distribution between download and upload is also relevant. Households are consumers and need good download speeds and not necessarily as much of upload speeds.

Reliability

In a world with greater reliance on the internet, reliability is becoming critical. In gaming for example, low reliability could lead to you being on the losing side because you could not act in time. ISPs usually pubklis the service levels they offer and the uptimes.

Reliability also includes the element of customer service offered by the ISP. Are they reachable when you need them? How long do they take to respond? Now with so many of us working from home, our home connections need the same level of reliability as our work connections.